Reborn
by hullabuloo NHT
Summary: Naruto is dead but the powers that be are not done with him yet. Another world needs saving and it's up to him to do it. Naruto as the Maou. This is a NarutoxKyou Kara Maou crossover.
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: Neither Naruto nor Kyou Kara Maou belongs to me. Also this fanfic will quote heavily from the KKM anime.

Pairing: This is only come out much later in the story. Naruto/Yuuri x Conrad

Author's Note: I've placed this under Naruto for now. If you guys feel I should change it to a KKM x Naruto crossover, please tell me so. Also, I will not be abandoning Eternity. Though my other stories would be on hiatus for awhile.

**Prologue**

Finally, it was over. Naruto could _finally _get the rest he longed for. He was not suicidal, not at all. But he didn't exactly fear death either. After everything he'd gone through, he was convinced that life after death couldn't get much worse than life before it. Naruto was a jinchuuriki, the vessel of the greatest and most fearsome demon – kyuubi no kitsune. Because of his jinchuuriki status, he had been hated since the day he was born. This forced him to grow up quickly. Having no friends to play with was bad enough, but even if they did agree to play they wouldn't really be able to understand him anyway. While other children were worrying about not getting their favorite toy or not being able to watch their favorite show, Naruto was worrying about whether or not he'd be able to get his next meal or escape the next time some villages cornered him. When Naruto was five, he realized that he was different - that while he focused on survival, other children only needed to care about enjoyment. Naruto _hated_ being different. After all, it was because he was different that he was hated. Thus, the five year old had decided to construct a persona that would allow him to fit in more. He started playing pranks, being loud and obnoxious, and generally making a fool of himself. His acting was rewarded with less cold stares and less frequent beatings. The villages thought that he was an idiot, and thus assumed that he posed no threat to them. Naruto reveled in this discovery, taking care to never drop his mask. Things remained peaceful for awhile, however, they would not remain so.

Naruto was twelve when he was first sorted into his team – Uchiha Sasuke, avenger extraordinaire, and Haruno Sakura, the world's biggest fangirl. Naruto took one look at his teammates and knew that his genin days would be difficult. And he'd been hoping to be able to finally drop his mask, too. While he inwardly sulked, on the outside Naruto was cheering for being able to be with his 'crush' and throwing a tantrum for having to put up with the rookie of the year. True to his predictions, Naruto hated his team. His lazy perverted sensei only served to make things worse. However, everything changed on their mission to Wave. Naruto gained his first true friend. Out of all the children in Konoha, Sasuke was the one who was most likely to be able to understand Naruto. They were both alone. Naruto never had a family to begin with, and Sasuke lost his to his homicidal older brother. Both never made any close friends as no one wanted to be friends with the village idiot and Sasuke was placed too high on a pedestal to become true friends with. Somehow, the two had become closer through their D ranked missions, so close that Sasuke was willing to sacrifice his life for Naruto's. This simple action had gained him Naruto's undying loyalty. However, the same action had scared Sasuke. The Uchiha was an avenger. He was not meant to form close ties. Afraid of growing too close, Sasuke had fled to Orochimaru a few months later. That was the beginning of the downward spiral of Naruto's life.

Orochimaru had grown stronger quickly, and Otogakure soon became a threat. The snake sannin had attacked Konoha, killing Tsunade and demolishing half of Konoha's ninja population. The Konoha populace was afraid, quickly nominating Konoha's strongest ninja as Hokage. That was how Uzumaki Naruto, ANBU captain, had been awarded the post of Rokudaime. Naruto was only 17 then, but already he was the stongest ninja in the village. He had learnt a lot on his 3 year training trip with Jiraiya after Sasuke's defection. Not from the old pervert, mind you, but from many different people he met on his journey. Jiraiya often left the blond to his own devices for most of the trip, though he did provide Naruto with scrolls for the Hiraishin – the jutsu that made the Yondaime known as the 'Yellow Flash of Konoha'. The toad sannin had probably expected Naruto to spend all 3 years mastering the Hiraishin. However, the blond had managed it in one. Not that Naruto told Jiraiya that, of course. He hadn't wanted the toad hermit to cut their training journey short. Instead, Naruto had pretended to struggle with his father's greatest jutsu as he secretly learned from strangers turned friends he met on his journey.

Out of all the senseis Naruto had on his 3 year journey, one stood out more than the others. Himura Kenji was a master swordsman and had tutored Naruto in the ways of the samurai after the blond had saved his son from drowning. Naruto had stayed with his family for six months, during which Jiraiya was on some 'research trip'. Naruto had learnt more in those six months that he had in his entire life. While he was nowhere near being a master swordsman like his sensei, Naruto was definitely above average when the time came for him to leave.

Orochimaru attacked Konoha again when Naruto was 19, two years after he had taken the post of Rokudaime. However, this time, Konoha was prepared. Under Naruto's leadership, the leaf village had prospered and grown. They would not be taken down as easily as before. Even though their ninja population was still small, having not yet recovered from the previous invasion, each ninja was now much stronger than before. Naruto himself was also much stronger, having finally mastered the sword. Konoha and Oto fought, and the leaf village came out victorious. Konoha celebrated as Naruto slew Orochimaru who had possessed Sasuke's body. The rest of the Oto nins fled at the death of their leader and the Leaf rejoiced. And then, in the midst of the celebration, Uzumaki Naruto – Rokudaime of Konoha – collapsed. Naruto had not escaped the battle unscathed, and it seemed his injuries had caught up to him. With a small smile, Naruto closed his eyes and breathed his last breath.

Currently, the blond jinchuuriki was floating around in a sea of white. It was calm and relaxing, something Naruto had not experienced in a very long time. _I could get used to this. _Naruto thought, as he continued to float around. Then suddenly, a bright light appeared before him. Naruto wasn't quite sure how he could see the light when he was surrounded by white, but the light just seemed… whiter… than his surroundings. As he squinted, Naruto realized that the light actually made up 4 large figures that could pass off as dragons if Naruto tilted his head to the right angle. Then the light dimmed and Naruto could see the dragons clearly. The first dragon was made out of fire. Its body was a mess of bright orange flames that licked at the surroundings. On its head, there was a single character for fire. Next to Fire, was Earth. The earth dragon was made out of solidified mud with the character of earth etched into its forehead. Then there was Water, which somehow managed to keep its shape despite having the water that made up its body flowing constantly. Finally, there was Wind, which was made up of a thousand little swirls, reminding Naruto of a large, dragon-shaped rasengan.

"Uzumaki Naruto, we need your help," Fire began.

"The world we watch over is in jeopardy and we need you to save it." Water continued.

"Sorry, but I've done more than enough. I'd just like to rest now. Can't you ask somebody else?" Naruto replied sincerely. He would like to help, but he was _exhausted._

"We're sorry to place this on your shoulders, child, but we have no choice. Originally, we planned to use the soul of a girl named Julia. Her soul was pure and would have fit our purpose. However, when she died, her dying wish was selfish. You see, Julia fell in love with a man named Conrad. She died while healing a soldier, having exhausted too much energy. As she died, she wished more than anything to continue living so that she could be with Conrad. She loved him so much; a part of her even regretted healing the soldier. This selfishness tainted her soul. She is no longer pure, and no longer suitable for the task we had planned for her." Wind explained.

"I don't see what's wrong with wanting happiness. Kami knows I've wished for it many times as well. What makes me a better candidate than her?" Naruto asked.

"There is nothing wrong, but she regretted saving the soldier's life. If she could do it over again, Julia would have chosen her happiness over the soldier's. That is why she cannot fulfill the tasks we have planned for her. You, on the other hand, have always chosen others' happiness over your own. You are suited for this task." Earth replied.

"I think you're overestimating me. I never had a chance to be happy, so there was never such a choice for me. In fact, if there was a way for me to find happiness, I'm quite sure I would jump at it." Naruto said.

"That is not true. You were happy at Kenji's, were you not? Yet you chose to return to Konoha because they needed you. You were happy being a normal jounin, but you consented to becoming Rokudaime because no one else would rise to the task. Also, while you hated the fact that you were the Kyuubi's vessel, not once did you wish that someone else bore the burden." Water rebutted.

"Your soul is pure, young one. And that is why we need your help. Please, our world would be destroyed if you don't agree." Fire pleaded.

Naruto sighed. He could never say no when someone asked for his help. It was engrained into his personality. "Fine, I agree. So what's your world like? Is it filled with dragons like you?"

Wind chuckled. "No, of course not. Our world is actually much like yours. We do not belong to our world; we merely call it ours as we watch over it. We are elemental dragons. It is true our power that the mortals are able to wield elemental magic. Your world is governed by its own set of elemental dragons. That's how ninja are able to wield jutsus."

"I see. So what happens now?" Naruto asked.

"You will be born into the sister-world of our world. This is for your own safety. When the time comes, you will be sent to our world. You will regain the memories of your past life slowly. This is our gift to you, young one. You will have the family and childhood you never had in your last life. Enjoy it." Earth said.

Naruto didn't have chance to reply before he felt the sensation of being pulled into a swirling vortex. _So this is what it's like to be pulled into a hurricane._ He thought, before everything went black.

A cry of a baby resounded in the emergency room. With a small tuft of black hair atop his head, the baby blinked his ebony eyes at his smiling mother before yawning cutely.

"Kawaii ne! Yuuri. Shibuya Yuuri. That will be his name." Jessica squealed.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even the plot seeing how it relies so heavily on KKM. Also, for future chapters, I will not be posting a disclaimer. Just know that this work is purely non-profitable.

**Chapter 1**

Shibuya Yuuri sighed as he glanced at the baseball field. _I miss it… _Yuuri shook his head to clear it before cycling away. He had made his choice, he wouldn't regret it. Besides, he still had a task to fulfill. True to the earth dragon's words, Yuuri had regained his memories slowly. The dreams first started when he was five. The memories of his past life returned to him bit by bit. This allowed him to actually enjoy his childhood without his impending task looming over him. It was only after he remembered everything that happened in his life as Uzumaki Naruto that the memory of his conversation with the four dragons came to him. That had happened when Yuuri was 15. Now, at the ripe old age of 16, Yuuri was waiting for when he would be brought to the other world.

"You don't want to play with us?"

"Mr. 'Straight A student' has to study?"

"As expected from a new student."

Yuuri pulled his bicycle to a stop as he looked upon the scuffle that was taking place. Apparently a few bullies were taking advantage of a new student. Looking closer, Yuuri realized that he knew the younger student. Murata Ken. He had been in a few of Yuuri's classes, but the two had never really spoken to each other.

"I don't plan to hang around with you guys." Murata was saying. "Anyway, I don't have any money." Then he stopped, having noticed Yuuri staring at them.

Yuuri sighed. He really hated bullies. He remembered all too clearly how he had been bullied in his past life, after all. However, while Yuuri had kept up with his training, mostly in kenjutsu since he could no longer use chakra in this world, he didn't feel right to fight back. It seemed unfair, to use his skills against untrained opponents. Steeling himself for the beating that was sure to come, Yuuri spoke up.

"What are you guys doing over there?" He asked in a stern voice, prompting the group of bullies to turn around and stare at him. "I don't suppose you're doing community service." Yuuri continued as he climbed off his bike.

"Well, if it isn't Shibuya." The blond haired gangster sneered.

"What? Are you guys friends or something?" The one with long brown hair asked.

"Perfect. Why don't you contribute to our group as well?" The blond one asked.

"Just give us your ---" The spiky haired one began before he was interrupted by Murata turning tail and running.

Yuuri's eye twitched. _That little coward. _He thought. _After I stood up for him too._ _Oh well, perhaps it was better that he ran away – less people to witness my imminent humiliation. If only my conscience would shut up and allow me to fight back._ Yuuri sighed as he felt a gangster grab him by his collar and slam him into the wall behind him.

"Thanks to you, our prey got away." The blond gangster who was holding him sneered. "What are you going to do about that? Well? Why don't you say something, Shibuya Yuuri?"

"Or is Harajuku at a disadvantage?" The brown haired one mocked.

"I've heard that pun at least 50,000 times since I was born. If you have any complaints, take it up with the one who named me." Yuuri said tiredly. Really, what _had _his mother been thinking? Naming him 'profitability'. Yuuri sighed as he thought of his hyper and slightly insane mother. However, he loved her and he wouldn't change his family for anything. After remembering life as an orphan, Yuuri started to really appreciate his family. He had always loved them, but after regaining his memories he learnt how to appreciate them even more.

"Hey, wait a second." Yuuri stammered as he realized where they were headed. "This is the girls' restroom!"

"Well there are more stalls in here. We need our privacy." One of the gangsters replied mockingly.

"Wait, you guys aren't thinking of…" Yuuri's eyes widened as they landed on the toilet bowl in front of him. _Damn. Maybe I should just wrench myself out of their hold and run away? No. If I do, they just start hunting me for having escaped. Best to just get this over with. I'm really going to need to shampoo my hair after this though._

"Just so you know, this is what happens when you get in our way." A gangster intoned before Yuuri found his head stuffed into the toilet bowl and heard the flush being pulled.

However, instead of merely having his hair washed with toilet bowl water, Yuuri found himself being pulled into the toilet. _You've got to be kidding me. Why is there a black hole in the toilet? Or are toilets these days equipped with extra sucking power? Wait… No. Of all the ways to pull me into the other world, they pull me through a toilet bowl?!_

Yuuri blinked as he found himself staring up at a blue sky and lying on a soft bed of grass. _Where am I?_ Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he looked around. "This place looks like the Alps?" Then he shivered. Lifting his arm he saw water dripping from his sleeve. "Disgusting. I really hope I don't have to be flushed down a toilet every time I come here." Yuuri turned to the left and he saw a young blond woman carrying a basket. _I should ask for directions. _He thought before hurridly approaching her. "Excuse me, where is this place?" He asked. The girl merely stared at him in horror before dropping her basket of apples. A few apples rolled out and Yuuri dully noted that they were purple. "Those are interesting fruit you've got there." He commented. "Apples… The color is too weird. Are they imported?" He asked. "Not only that, but your outfit looks ---" Before he could complete his sentence, the girl screamed something in a language he didn't recognize. "Do you not understand Japanese? I'm not anyone suspicious." Yuuri tried to placate her but the girl merely shrieked something else before running away. "Hey wait a minute!" Yuuri shouted after her before sighing. _Of course, it's another world so they must speak another language. And have purple apples, apparently. How on earth do the dragons expect me to save their world when I can't even communicate with these people?_ Yuuri's thoughts were interrupted when he saw the mob coming up behind the girl carrying pitchforks. _Not this again. I thought I escaped this when I left Konoha._ Yuuri sighed as he lifted a hand to shield himself from the rocks they were throwing at him. _Well, at least they're not throwing kunai. _He tried to comfort himself as he winced from a hit by a particularly hard rock. _Time for a tactical retreat._ Yuuri thought as he quickly turned tail and run.

Suddenly, there was a loud neighing and the trampling of horse feet before a large stallion stopped in front of him. Atop a stallion, sat a large blond haired man who shouted some unintelligible words at the mob. _What now? _Yuuri thought tiredly. The large man climbed off his horse and approached Yuuri. _What does he want? _Yuuri thought as he eyed the man warily. _This is bad, I don't have a sword with me and this guy doesn't look like any old pushover. My taijutsu is pathetic now that I don't have the super strength and speed of a ninja._ The man clasped his hands on either side of Yuuri's head and pushed. _What the hell? Is he trying to squash my head? He might actually succeed too. _Yuuri thought through the pain. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! My head isn't a stress ball!" He managed to cry out. Then suddenly there was a sharp pain in his head before the man let go. Falling to his knees, Yuuri gingerly held his pounding head in his hands. "What the hell were you doing?!" He demanded. Then he started registering the whispers around him.

"Just our luck, he had to appear here."

"Let's get rid of him now."

Wait a minute… He could understand them now!

"Well?" Yuuri looked up at the large man as he addressed him. "Can you understand us now?"

Blinking, Yuuri decided to take advantage of his sudden fluency in this unknown language. "So err… I'm sorry but could you tell me where this is?" He asked sheepishly.

"Geez. Just when I thought this one looked worthy. The next Maou is just an idiot." The large man said, chuckling dryly.

"Idiot?" _That teme… _Furious, Yuuri jumped to his feet and glared at the man. _Even if he helped me speak their language doesn't mean he can just call me names like that. _"How can you call someone you just met an idiot? Huh?" He demanded angrily.

"The monster got back up!" A villager exclaimed.

"Someone take the children into the house." Another cried worriedly.

"It's no use," said an old villager as he fell to his knees. "This village will be burned down, just like Kentanau 20 years ago."

"Now wait. He is unarmed." A fierce looking villager said, eyeing Yuuri carefully. "And just look at his hair and eyes. They are like those of the Soukoku. If we can get our hands on that Soukoku stuff, we'll obtain the strength of Froush"

"I've heard about that." The woman who Yuuri first saw spoke up. "In the country to the west, there is a huge reward for it."

_What are they talking about? _Yuuri wondered, before his eyes hardened. _In any case, this looks bad… Really bad._ He thought as he eyed the villages adopting battle ready positions with their pitchforks. Before Yuuri could act, the large man from before spoke up.

"Now calm down. You guys, this kid hasn't succumbed to anything yet. If we can persuade him here and now…" However, the man was interrupted by the pattering of horses' feet. Hearing someone call his name, Yuuri turned around to see three soldiers charging towards him on horses. It was the one in the middle who had called his name. _How does he know my name? _Yuuri thought. _Though this is rather cheesy. Is he supposed to be the knightly prince who comes to save me?_ Then Yuuri looked up and took a double take. _Was that a flying skeleton?!_

"Don't draw your swords against the villagers. They aren't soldiers." The middle soldier ordered.

"But, Your excellency…" The soldier on the left began, looking at the middle soldier unsurely.

"Just do it." The soldier in charge ordered. Pulling his eyes away from the disturbing sight of a flying skeleton, Yuuri looked approvingly at the soldier in the middle who was apparently the one in charge. Yuuri had always believed in not harming innocents and he couldn't help but approve of the soldier's orders.

"Damn, they're already here." The large man swore before quickly climbing his horse and drawing his sword with a smug grin.

The soldier in charge was in the lead and he drew his own sword in response. "Get away from Yuuri, Adelbert!" He shouted as he charged. "Forgrats Adelbert! Why do you encroach on our boundaries?" The soldier demanded as he swung, locking swords with Adelbert.

"Weller Conrad, superior among these cowards." Adelbert intoned as he pushed his sword against Conrad's.

Yuuri sighed. Did they _really _have to announce their opponents like that? _Wait a minute… Conrad? That name sounds familiar… Oh crap. This is the guy Julia fell in love with? And he probably thinks that I have Julia's soul too. Damn. I'll have to explain things to him. That conversation is most certainly not one I'm looking forward to. _However, his thoughts were rudely interrupted when he felt hands on his shoulders pulling him up. The next thing he knew, he was airborne, dangling from the skeleton's hands. _No way! I'm flying with a SKELETON! Shit! How did it sneak up on me like that?_

"Very clever, using those vermin for your dirty work." Adelbert commented as he saw Yuuri's predicament. Yuuri frowned. This was ridiculous. Only idiots talked so much during a battle. Well, in the ninja world anyway. According to Kenji, samurais tended to be much more polite and conversation-inclined in battle. _Were they samurai? From their outfit and the type of swords they're using, I doubt it. However, I must keep in mind that this is a different world. Maybe they are this world's version of samurai. Then again, the Conrad guy is wearing a uniform and seems to be a soldier. Really, couldn't those dragons have given me more information?_ Yuuri mentally lamented as he desperately tried to analyse the weird and confusing situation he was in.

"They are loyal to us. They do not succumb to resentment and lose themselves." Conrad replied. Yuuri's eyes narrowed at his tone. That seemed to be a personal attack. Filing away that information, Yuuri desperately brainstormed of a way to escape the flying skeleton. _Really, could things get much weirder?_

"I see. And how about you? Don't you think it is a pity to waste those skills for those bastards." Yuuri's eyes twitched as he watched the two swordsmen banter. _Really, didn't they learn anything at school? You're not supposed to talk so much in a battle! Talkative ninja are dead ninja. Fight already!_

"Unfortunately, Adelbert, I am not as compassionate as you." As he spoke, the other two soldiers were riding swiftly towards them.

Taking in the situation, Adelbert spoke up. "I'll retreat for now." Tilting his head up slightly to address Yuuri he continued. "You just be patient. I'll be back to save you." He called out before steering his horse and galloping away. Yuuri's eyes twitched some more. _All that and they didn't even fight? Talk about anticlimactic. And HE's going to save me? Exactly which side am I supposed to be on?_

Yuuri looked around as they entered a village, peering over Conrad's shoulder. After Adelbert left, Conrad had ordered the other two soldiers not to chase him before asking the skeleton to let Yuuri down. Yuuri's eyes had widened at that, fully expecting to be dropped, but the skeleton merely flew downwards and deposited him lightly onto the ground. Yuuri had stared at the chattering skeleton for a few seconds before stammering out a thank you. Then, Conrad had pulled him up onto his horse and Yuuri had ridden behind Conrad ever since. They were now approaching a small hut that Yuuri presumed to be their resting place for the night. Suddenly the door opened and out stepped a man with long silver hair. The silver haired man looked at Yuuri and immediately sprinted towards them.

"Your Majesty." He said, staring up at Yuuri in awe.

"Majesty?" Yuuri asked, still not quite sure what was going on. "You mean me?"

"Your Majesty," Conrad spoke up, seemingly addressing Yuuri. "Please dismount slowly."

Nodding, Yuuri proceeded to do just that. The moment his feet touched the ground, the silver haired man immediately got down on one knee. "Your Majesty, I am relieved to know that you are safe. I, Fornchrist, have been waiting patiently and anxiously for this day." He spoke respectfully.

Yuuri stared at him and warily took a step back before a sharp pain travelled up his spine. Wincing, he rubbed his tail bone.

"Your Majesty, are you hurt?" The silver haired man asked concernedly.

"Your bottom hurts, doesn't it, Your Majesty?" Conrad said, having also dismounted. "This is the first time you've ridden." He explained.

"First time? Do they not teach horse riding in elementary school?" The silver haired man asked, addressing Conrad. "Why was the next king chosen from that kind of world?" Yuuri twitched at that. _Noone told me I had to know how to ride! Damn dragons._

"That aside, Forngrats beat me to him, Gunter." Conrad said, adopting a serious tone.

"Adelbert did?" Gunter asked worriedly before turning to Yuuri. "Your Majesty, did anything happen to you?" He asked, his doubts about Yuuri apparently gone.

"Well, they did surround and throw rocks at me." Yuuri replied honestly.

"How awful." Gunter said sympathetically. Then something occurred to him. "Your Majesty, how are you able to understand our language?"

"Oh that guy… Conrad called him Adelbert. Anyway, he squeezed my head and suddenly I could understand what you guys were saying." Yuuri explained.

"It's getting cold outside, let us go in. We can talk more inside." Conrad said, quickly ushering the two inside.

While Conrad added a few logs to the fire in the fireplace, Gunter studied Yuuri carefully. "Your Majesty, you wear black everyday? That's brilliant!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Only those born to be our royalty wear as much black as you do. Those brilliant black eyes and hair… You truly are our Majesty."

"Well, this is just my… err… school uniform." Yuuri replied, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He had been treated with respect as the Rokudaime, but having this level of awe being directed at him was still a first. "And in Japan, black eyes and hair are very common."

Gunter eyed him for awhile before speaking up, though his tone was much gentler, as though he was speaking to a frightened child. "Your Majesty, I need to explain a few things to you. Eighteen years ago, your spirit was meant to be born into this world. However, whether it was because of the war or because he felt that you would be in danger, the First King decided to send your spirit to a different world. Thus, your spirit appeared on the world called Earth. There, your current parents created your body, and you were raised. But there has been an emergency which required summoning you here." Gunter explained.

"Wait, you say the First King sent my spirit there? Wasn't I sent there by the elemental dragons?" Yuuri asked.

"You know of the great elemental guardians?" Gunter asked, surprised.

"Well, yeah. They approached me and told me that the world they watched over was in jeopardy and that I needed to save it. So, what do I need to do? Save a princess? Or slay a dragon?" Yuuri asked.

"Dragon? Oh no. The dragons are an endangered species and are protected." Gunter said, shocked.

"Oh so dragons are protected. Then what am I supposed to defeat?" Yuuri asked, starting to get impatient.

"Humans." Gunter replied.

"Humans?" Yuuri echoed. "Who? Where?"

"You need to wipe out all the humans who oppose our kingdom." Gunter said. "For that purpose, you will need the royal power of the Maou!"

"Wait, what did you say?" Yuuri asked. _He couldn't mean… _"Wipe out the humans? And what did you call me?"

"You are the shining star of the Mazoku (demon race). Your Majesty, the 27th Maou (demon king)! Congratulations. From this day on, you are the Maou!"

"M-Maou, you said?" Yuuri stuttured. _Crap crap crap. Couldn't my task be something easy like defeating some great scary enemy – a one-time thing that I can just complete and go home? But nooo. Nothing can be simple in my life. I've to be a demon king and wipe out all the humans. Huh. Funny that. Kyuubi is probably rolling over in his grave right now. I can already imagine what he'd say, 'that fleabag? The demon king? No way! I am the greatest of all demons! The lord of the bijuu. I should be the demon king!'_ "To quote an old friend, 'this is so troublesome'. Anyway, I'll need to learn a _lot_ of stuff if I'm going to be your king. Things like your customs and culture, this world's history, our financial status and geographical boundaries… Damn it. There's so much I need to learn! Whose brilliant idea was it to send me to another world anyway?" Yuuri ranted as he massaged his temples. "And that was a rhetorical question, so don't try to answer it." Yuuri said, glaring at his two apparent subordinates.

"Your Majesty is so responsible! And such great foresight!" Gunter gushed, looking at Yuuri with stars in his eyes. Yuuri merely stared at him and fought the urge to shudder. Really, this was starting to become rather disturbing.

"There is a book store in this village. We can pick up a few books from there. Which subjects would Your Majesty like to read about first?" Conrad spoke up from his position against the wall.

"Hmm… I suppose learning your customs should take priority. I don't want to accidentally offend someone. By the way, is there somewhere I can dry my clothes? I feel really disgusting right now." Yuuri asked.

"Of course! How negligent of me to forget about that! I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Please remove your clothes and allow me to dry them over the fire. You can wrap yourself with this blanket while waiting." Gunter said anxiously, apparently beating himself up for not attending to his king's needs.

"Right, thanks." Yuuri said, accepting the blanket from Gunter. He looked around but couldn't find a room to change in. "Err could you guys turn around?" Conrad smiled at him, amused, as he turned to face the wall. Gunter, on the other hand, looked almost disappointed. Though he, too, turned around. Yuuri changed quickly, wrapping himself with the blanket and handing Gunter his clothes. As Gunter busied himself with hanging Yuuri's clothes to dry, Yuuri puzzled over what to do. _Best to just get things over with._

"Gunter, I don't mean to order you around or anything, but could you please go buy those books?" He asked. Gunter immediately agreed, dashing out to fulfill Yuuri's request. Sighing, Yuuri turned to Conrad. "I need to speak to you about something. You had better sit down. This will take awhile."

Surprised, Conrad nodded before taking a seat and looking at Yuuri expectantly. "I know about Julia and how the two of you loved each other." Yuuri began awkwardly. "However, my soul does not belong to Julia. You see, when Julia died, her last wish was to stay alive so that she could be with you. She loved you so much that a part of her regretted saving the soldier's life and giving up the life you two would have had together. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, the fact that her dying wish was so selfish 'tainted' her soul and made her an unsuitable candidate for whatever tasks the elemental dragons had in store for her. Thus, they approached me instead. I just wanted to tell you this so that you wouldn't be operating under the impression that I bear the soul of your dead lover. I would understand if you wish to leave. You are not obliged to serve me. If you want, I can tell Gunter that I sent you on some top secret mission. I'm sure he'll eat it up." Yuuri paused as he waited to see Conrad's reaction. The soldier seemed to be a good swordsman and a loyal subject; it would be a shame to see him go. However, Yuuri refused to manipulate him by making use of his feelings for Julia.

Conrad blinked a few times as he digested the information. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I need some time to think about this."

Yuuri nodded understandingly. "Of course. Could you please check the parameters for any threats?" Yuuri asked, giving the swordsman a convenient reason to go out and take a walk."

Conrad nodded, still somewhat in a daze, before walking out. Yuuri sighed, again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Before he settled down to wait. He didn't have to wait long. Gunter returned quickly, books clasped under his arm. Looking around he noticed Conrad's absence. "I asked him to go and check the parameters for threats." Yuuri explained, holding out his hands for the books. Gunter nodded in understanding before passing the books to Yuuri. He then settled down to stare at the black haired boy while Yuuri tried to read and ignore the staring.

Yuuri stretched as he stood up, massaging at the crick in his neck. Gunter had dozed off in his chair while Yuuri was reading. It was a good thing that Yuuri requested the books too. He had learnt a lot about the Mazoku customs. Apparently, a noble slapping another noble on the left cheek would be equivalent to proposing to them. If he hadn't known that, Yuuri might have randomly slapped someone who had pissed him off. What would he have done then? Yuuri quickly took his dry clothes down from the stick they were hanging from and changed into them. Conrad still hadn't returned. Maybe he had decided to leave. Shrugging his shoulders to work out the cricks in his muscles, Yuuri headed outside. He needed some fresh air.

Yuuri stiffened when he heard footsteps coming up behind him before relaxing when he realized that it was probably Gunter coming out to find him.

"Your Majesty" Yuuri started at the voice. It was Conrad. So the man hadn't left already? Was he here to say goodbye?

"Cut it out. Stop calling me 'Your Majesty'." Yuuri lectured. He still wasn't used to being treated so respectfully. To his surprise, Conrad got down on one knee and placed his right hand over his heart.

"I, Weller Conrad, do hereby pledge my loyalty and life to you, Shibuya Yuuri." Conrad intoned seriously. "I've thought about it. You may not have Julia's soul, but my loyalty is to the Maou, no matter what. Besides, from what I've seen, you would make a great king. It would be an honor to serve you." He explained.

"Very well. I accept your pledge. In return, I pledge to do my best to look after my kingdom and her subjects." Yuuri replied. "You may stand up now."

Conrad smiled as he complied. "Let's go back inside. If you get a cold, I'll be lectured by Gunter again." He said.

"You guys are Mazoku, right?" Yuuri asked the next day. Their group was travelling by horse back to the Mazoku kingdom and Yuuri was once again riding behind Conrad. "Can't you just use your magic to teleport us back or something?"

"Magic? Oh, you mean Majyutsu. Unfortunately, Majyutsu isn't that convenient. Majyutsu only comes in handy during battles." Gunter replied. _Huh. That sucks. Even ninjas had the Shunshin no jutsu to help us get to where we want to. _Yuuri thought.

"I, on the other hand, don't have any magical items." Conrad spoke up. "You'll just have to bear with your bum."

"I see." Yuuri replied, trying not to sulk. Then he spotted a flying skeleton flying up ahead. "Hey Koshi!" He called out. "Thanks for carrying me away back there! Although I can't tell if you're the same one from yesterday!" The skeleton chattered back at him and Yuuri grinned. He liked the bony guys already. Just then, a small girl with braided purple hair ran up to them with a bowl of water.

Yuuri squinted at the water curiously. There was something strange about it. Not in a bad way, though. It seemed almost as if the water was… magical. The girl had stopped in front of Yuuri and held up the bowl of water to him.

"Wait, Your Majesty!" Gunter cautioned, ever the worried one. "You must not consume anything that we don't give you personally." Gunter lectured. "You never know what may be in it."

Yuuri stared at the girl for awhile. Something was telling him that he could trust her. However, he had a nagging feeling that he didn't need the water. _How strange. I'm feeling thirsty and yet my instincts tell me I don't need it. For some reason, I feel like drinking the water is equivalent to cheating. Oh well, my instincts have never failed me yet._ Sighing, Yuuri put on a smile before addressing the girl. "Thank you, you went through all the trouble of bringing this here. However, my instincts tell me that I need to prove myself and drinking this water would be like taking a shortcut. I don't believe in shortcuts. Don't worry. I'll be fine." Yuuri assured her.

The girl stared up at him for awhile before nodding. It was as if she understood his feelings completely. How was that possible when Yuuri himself didn't know why he was feeling that way? Puzzled, Yuuri was about to question her but she turned around and ran off before he could say anything.

"Your Majesty, is something the matter?" Conrad asked.

"No, it's nothing. Let's continue on our way." Yuuri replied.

"Do I really need to enter by myself?" Yuuri asked unsurely as he stared warily at the black stallion beneath him.

"Yes. You must display your excellence to the people!" Gunter exclaimed.

"Don't worry. That horse is very docile." Conrad added.

Yuuri merely stared at the crowds who were welcoming him with waves and smiles as well as at the gigantic castle he could see in the distance. "Welcome back, Your Majesty." Conrad said.

"You, the Imperial king and the people who make up this nation shall continue its long-standing prosperity. You must not forget that everything that makes this world began with us, the Mazoku. Bear with you the courage, wisdom and strength of those who defeated the Sou warriors and continue our prosperity forever!" Gunter cried.

"Is this the national anthem?" Yuuri asked, referring to the music playing in the background.

"Behold our nation, and our capital!" Gunter shouted, he was getting rather carried away.

"It's a bit too long." Yuuri said. The music was _still_ playing and they'd already ridden through the town.

"Translated, the anthem's title means 'Shin (New) Makoku'," Conrad said.

Yuuri smiled at the little girls who kept handing him bouquets, thanking them. Then he saw a troop of guards standing at the entrance. The one in charge seemed to be a man with blond hair. "Who's that?" He asked.

"Fornspitz Sven Shistoff." Conrad answered. "The former Maou's older brother. He took control of the nation while you were gone. The former Maou… she resigned and caused quite a panic. He intends to endear himself to the next Maou." Conrad cautioned.

"I won't let him do as he pleases anymore." Gunter said, determined. "I'm sure Gwendal and Wolfram feel the same way."

"I hope so." Was all Conrad said in reply.

"Umm, did something happen?" Yuuri asked. _How was he going to be king if he was unaware of all the political battles going on?_ Then suddenly a fly flew around his horse, irritating it. Without warning, Yuuri's horse bucked and almost threw him off. He distinctly heard someone shout, "Pull on the reins!" before his horse started galloping off. _Damn! No stupid horse is going to get the better of me!_ Yuuri thought as he pulled desperately at the reins. _Stop stop stop! You stupid horse!_ Yuuri thought he heard Conrad and Gunter calling him worriedly, but he couldn't bring himself to shout anything in reply. He was just trying to stay seated on the thrice-damned horse. The horse sprinted up the winding road leading to the castle before coming to a sudden stop, throwing Yuuri off in the process. Yuuri groaned as he rubbed his bottom gingerly. _That's it. I'm going to make a pack with the Koshi. I'm not getting on another horse. I'll just ask the skeletons to fly me around._ He decided.

"Calm down. It's alright now." A deep voice said from his right. Looking up, Yuuri saw a tall man with black hair and eyes wearing a regal green cloak.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Your Majesty! Are you alright?" It seemed Conrad and Gunter had finally caught up.

At that address, the black haired man turned to study Yuuri. "Majesty? This is?" He asked, looking severely unimpressed.

Yuuri twitched. "What do you mean by 'this'?!" The man merely narrowed his eyes at him. "Sure I'm a little… well, okay, you have a point." Yuuri grumbled. _Stupid guy. Just because I can't ride a horse. I'll show him. I'll become the best rider in the country!_ Yuuri proclaimed mentally, already forgetting his decision to fly with the Koshi.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Conrad asked, crouching down in front of him. Gunter was fussing at his other side. However, before Yuuri could reassure the both of them, a loud obnoxious voice echoed.

"Is _that_ the next Maou?!" Yuuri inwardly growled at the tone. The arrogance reminded him strongly of that stupid Uchiha teme. Yuuri turned to see a blond boy dressed smartly in a blue uniform walking down the steps. _Damned pretty boys. Must they all be so arrogant?_ Yuuri thought, as he looked at the pompous idiot. _Please tell me I don't have to put up with him for long. Maybe I can reassign him somewhere else._


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Yuuri sighed contentedly as he relaxed in the hot bath. _They said this was reserved. But it feels more like it's for my exclusive use._ He thought, looking around at the gigantic bath area. _Hmm? Something smells good. _He blinked as he sniffed the air. Then he saw a beautiful blond woman walking calmly into the bath in nothing but a fluffy pink towel. "W-Wait! Wait! No way!" He cried, backing up immediately.

"Oh? Are you the new Maou?" She asked calmly, apparently not flustered by both their states of undress. She simply continued walking towards him, dropping her towel as she entered the water.

"Wait! I didn't know this was a mixed bath!" Yuuri cried, desperately trying to get away from the scary blond lady.

"Who would have thought that we'd meet here?" She asked, smiling at him.

_That's it. I can't take this. I'm getting out of here._ Yuuri thought as he jumped out of the bath and sprinted away.

"A stark naked babe in the bath?" Conrad asked.

"Yeah. I freaked out." Yuuri replied. "Wasn't the bath just for the Maou?"

"Man. What a situation." The swordsman groaned as he scratched his head.

"So who is that 'sexy queen'?" Yuuri asked.

"Your Majesty, please try these on." Gunter said, finally turning around to face them.

Yuuri stared at him. _Was that a nosebleed?_ "We're going to have a dinner party for the new Maou." Conrad explained.

Holding up the tiny black article of clothing they handed to him, Yuuri asked. "What's this?"

"From now on, that is to be your underwear." Conrad replied, smiling. Yuuri merely stared at the thing. _They've got to be kidding me. This tiny thing?_

Suddenly, Gunter covered his face with his hands. "Forgive me. I just had insolent thoughts. I will go cool off my head." He said before running off.

Conrad and Yuuri both blinked at the spot Gunter vacated. "Huh? What was that about?" Yuuri asked. Conrad shrugged before sniffing the air.

"Your Majesty, you smell really good." He commented.

"Really? Must be the shampoo I used." Yuuri replied, sniffing himself.

Yuuri twitched at all the solemn faces staring back at him. "This seems more like a war council than a dinner party." He muttered. _Oh well, best be polite._ "Good evening." He greeted. The black haired guy from before merely smirked evilly in response, prompting a shiver to run up Yuuri's spine. Conrad walked to stand behind the man before introducing him.

"Your Majesty, this is my older brother, Gwendal Von Walde." Conrad then turned towards the blond pretty boy. "And this is my younger brother." He said, about to lay a hand on the blond's shoulder. However, the blond smacked his hand away, shouting "don't touch me! I've said that I don't want humans touching me. I've never even thought of you as my older brother." Yuuri glared at the blond. How could he be so rude to his aniki?

"Yes yes." Conrad said patiently and Yuuri felt anger bubbling within him. How could Conrad take such treatment so lightly? Yuuri remembered what it was like being hated for being the Kyuubi's vessel. It seemed that here, it was the humans who were prejudiced against. Well, he wasn't going to stand for that.

"That is enough. You will apologise to Conrad at once." Yuuri commanded. Glaring at the pompous prick.

"Your Majesty, there is no need ---" Conrad started, but Yuuri cut him off.

"What is his name, Conrad?" Yuuri asked, still not taking his eyes off the blond. He could tell that his glare was starting to make the blond a little uncomfortable.

Conrad hesitated before replying. "Wolfram von Bielefeld."

"Well then, Lord Bielefeld. I hereby demand that you apologize to Conrad or I will strip you of your status. I refuse to allow any discrimination amongst my knights." Yuuri ordered. Conrad had explained to him how he and his brothers, along with Gunter, made up the Royal Knights who were tasked with the Maou's protection.

The blond sputtered at that statement, "you can't do that! I am the son of the former Maou!" He exclaimed.

"I can and I will. Now, are you going to apologize or not?" Yuuri asked calmly.

"Wolfram, you will obey His Majesty's orders." Gwendal spoke up, giving his younger brother a warning look.

Wolfram clenched his jaw tightly before forcing out an apology which Conrad immediately accepted, not wanting to exacerbate the situation. Yuuri, though not completely satisfied, decided to let the situation go for now. Giving the pretty boy one last glare, he turned back to Conrad.

Conrad cleared his throat before continuing. "I've told you why we have different fathers. My father, Weller Konrad, was not even of noble blood. His only worth was his respect. He was a human." Conrad explained.

Yuuri scoffed. "I don't care for blood, noble or not. I don't care if you're the son of a king or the son of a pauper. My respect is earned, not given." He said resolutely. Everyone was staring at him now, and Yuuri thought he could see a glint of respect in Gwendal's eye. _Hmm… The older brothers both seem to be good, level-headed men. I wonder how that teme turned out the way he did._

"And he would have earned your respect. Weller Konrad was a very fine man." A familiar woman's voice cut in. The three brothers all turned and said a greeting in unison. "Mother."

"Mother?" Yuuri asked? _Wolfram said he was the son of the former Maou. The former Maou was a woman. That means…_

"It's been a while, Conrad. Although I was only gone for a while, you are beginning to look just like the man your father was." She said, sashaying towards Conrad and putting her arm around his shoulders. Yuuri twitched when he recognized her as the woman from the bath. _No wonder she was allowed in there. She was the Maou, after all._

"You are very beautiful as well, Mother." Conrad complimented politely.

"Oh you needn't say that!" The blond woman squealed happily. "Everyone else is saying the same thing, aren't they, Conrad?" Yuuri stared. _This is a conversation between a mother and son…?_

"Gwen! Your forehead is wrinkling again!" She exclaimed, sidling towards the stoic Gwenal. "You'll never get girls that way!" Then she turned around and ran towards Wolfram. "Wolf! Hey Wolf!" She cried happily, embracing her youngest son. "You still look just like me!" She said as she pushed his face into her bosom. "I bet the men are all over you!" Yuuri winced. He almost pitied the boy. Almost.

"Mother, we just met this morning." Wolfram said, managing to free his head. "And I am not pleased to be embraced in a place like this."

"Are boys really like that?" The former Maou asked, seemingly surprised. It was as if she hadn't already raised two other sons.

"Yes, they are like that." Wolfram replied resolutely. _What a weird child-parent combination._ Yuuri thought.

"Your Majesty!" Yuuri twitched at the high pitched voice. _And here I was hoping to be spared all this melodrama. _"We already met in the bath didn't we? You're the new Maou, aren't you?" She asked, pushing her breasts into his back.

"Y-Yes, I am." Yuuri replied, feeling rather uncomfortable.

The woman leaned even closer to his face as she whispered in a low voice. "I've been constantly thinking of how great it would be if you were the new Maou. Do you have anyone you like?"

"That is enough." Yuuri heaved a sigh of relief at the sound of Gunter's voice. He was saved! "Please don't fall in love with the new Maou, 'ex-Maou'."

"Really, Gunter, you sound like a jealous lover." She said, grasping Gunter's chin. Then she turned towards Yuuri. "Welcome to Shin Makoku, King Yuuri. I am your predecessor, Cecilie von Spitzberg." She introduced. Then she grinned and threw her arms around him. "But you can call me Cheri! Che-ri!" She squealed as she squashed his face to her bosom.

Finally, they had all settled around the table to eat, Yuuri studied the weird utensil he was given. It was a spork with a really small fork portion. As he was analyzing his spork, Cecilie spoke up.

"You came from a very far away land, didn't you? I'm so happy that you came. It has been my dream to go on a journey around the world." She said.

"That's great." Yuuri replied sincerely. He was always glad to know when someone got a chance to fulfill their life's dream.

"You must be pretty confused, suddenly knowing that you're the Maou." She said sympathetically. _Not really. Nothing really surprises me anymore._ Yuuri thought dryly."But you know, Your Majesty, you shouldn't think too much." She continued. "My brother and sons will assist you in running this country."

"Mother! I do not plan to be used by this man." Wolfram spoke up angrily. "We don't even know for sure if he is the new Maou or not." He said, pointing rudely at Yuuri. Apparently he wasn't happy with being forced to apologize. Yuuri glanced at him. _I wouldn't mind not using him either. He's nothing but a spoilt brat. I can't imagine him being much help._

"Then will you become the new Maou, Wolf?" Cecilie asked him. Yuuri scoffed inwardly. Knowing his type, the arrogant boy would probably puff up and declare that of course he was suited to be king.

"Of course not." Wolfram said and Yuuri blinked in surprise. _Huh, looks like there's some hope for him yet._ "Aniue is more fit for that position that anyone else. Right, Gwendal?" He said. Yuuri couldn't help but agree. Conrad was far too nice to be king, and it would be rather ironic for a human to lead the demon kingdom against other humans. Prejudices wouldn't disappear quickly after all. Gunter was too… well he was more of a follower than a leader. As for Wolfram, he was a brat. Nothing more needed to be said. Even Cecilie didn't seem to fit the kingly stereotype as well as Gwendal did. Yuuri turned to see Gwendal's response to his little brother's praise. For his part, the black haired man was merely drinking and eating as if they weren't talking about him. _Dignified in the face of praise._ Yuuri thought, adding yet another point in his list of why Gwendal fit the role of Maou.

"But you know what happens when the King doesn't obey the Shinou, Wolf." Cecilie said, and that seemed to settle everything as Wolfram sat back in his chair and sulked, _At least he's quiet now._ Yuuri thought.

"Hey Conrad, is the Shinou supposed to get angry if he isn't obeyed?" Yuuri asked, confused with all this talk of the first king. Wasn't he here on the orders of the elemental dragons? This was so confusing.

"Yes, of course. That includes you as well, Your Majesty." Conrad replied.

"What's with that?" Yuuri spluttered. _I'm not even from this world! He had no jurisdiction over me! Besides, aren't I supposed to be the king?_ "I've never asked or wanted to be a king."

"Just as I thought." Gwendal, who had been quiet up till that moment, spoke up. "You never had the intention of fulfilling the responsibilities of a king, 'foreigner from a different world'."

"You didn't let me finish." Yuuri said calmly. He understood where Gwendal was coming from. The Mazoku loved his country and didn't want to see it ruined at the hands of an incompetent king. "I may not want to be king, but I have every intention of fulfilling my responsibilities. The elemental dragons approached me and asked for my help. I promised to help save the world they watched over. Once I have made a promise, I will keep it. That is the motto I live by."

Suddenly, Wolfram slammed his hands onto the table and stood up. "Just what proof do you have?! You can't convince me with his ability to speak or the colour of his hair and eyes. This is just some low-life that was born and raised amongst humans!"

"Wolfram, this is about his spirit, not his upbringing. But if you insist on disagreeing, I'll tell you: his father was a servant, from this world, under the former Maou." Conrad admonished.

Both Yuuri and Wolfram paused, shocked by the new information. However, it didn't take the blond long before he was launching back into his tirade. "Even so, his mother is still a human, right? She's probably just some insensitive, immoral nobody."

That was it. Wolfram just crossed the line. On the outside, Yuuri seemed very calm. However, those who knew him well knew that when Yuuri was truly angry, he was extremely calm. Yuuri didn't get angry easily, but when he did, the icy rage that he flew into was terrifying. "That is enough. I don't care how much you badmouth me, but you will _not_ insult my mother. You will leave immediately, or I will. I have promised the dragons and so I will save this country. However, I do not have to become the Maou. I could care less what your Shinou has to say." Yuuri intoned calmly, eyes flashing. He glared at Wolfram for awhile but the blond didn't make a move. Narrowing his eyes, Yuuri turned to go. He refused to remain in the same room with such an infidel. However, before Yuuri could take a step, he heard a crash behind him. Turning back around, he saw that Wolfram had pushed his cutlery down onto the floor. Narrowing his eyes further when he saw the knife on the floor, Yuuri smirked. The blond idiot didn't know what he was proposing.

"If you wanted a duel, you only needed to say so. I'll be more than happy to be given a chance to kill you. Or at least maim you severely." Yuuri said as he bent down to pick up the knife. "I accept."

"Your Majesty, do you realise what you just did?" Gunter asked, worried.

"Yes, I do, Gunter. I have agreed to put a disloyal subject in line." Yuuri replied before striding calmly out of the room. There was a moment of silence as everyone processed what just happened before Conrad spoke.

"I'll go watch out for His Majesty." He said before dashing out to find Yuuri.

"Wolfram, how could you be so rash?" Gwendal asked, massaging his temples tiredly.

Cecilie giggled. "I put my special perfume in the bath. It amplifies even the slightest bit of love into hot passion."

Gwendal sighed. That explained it. "And for those filled with hatred, that is what is released." He finished.

"Your Majesty, Wolfram has been trained to wield the sword since he could walk. You should take this more seriously." Conrad cautioned, looking at Yuuri worriedly.

"It'll be fine. It is time for that arrogant snot to be put in his place. No offense, Conrad, but your little brother really is annoying." Yuuri said as he looked around the weapon's shed.

"None taken, Your Majesty. I'm afraid Wolfram has been spoilt a little too much." Conrad said.

Yuuri scoffed. "A little? You're putting it lightly. You and Gwendal seem to have turned out nicely though. It's a shame he didn't follow in your footsteps." Yuuri said as he weighed a sword in his hand. _Nope, too heavy._ He thought, placing it back on its stand.

Conrad shrugged. "I'm afraid that unlike Gwendal and I, Wolfram never lived through a war. He did not have to grow up quickly." He explained as he watched Yuuri test the swords. It seems his worry was unfounded. Yuuri seemed to be quite knowledgeable about the sword. But would it be enough to beat Wolfram? "Have you studied sword-fighting, Your Majesty?" He asked.

Yuuri smirked when he found the perfect sword. It was one of the few katanas present in the weapons shed. Apparently Mazoku favoured Chinese style swords. Yuuri had trained himself to use many kinds of swords, but he was still the most comfortable with the katana. "Yes, I have. How about a spar, Conrad? I'm afraid I didn't get a good gauge of your skills during your battle with Adelbert." He asked, turning around to face the swordsman.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I know the perfect place to spar." Conrad said, smiling indulgently. Yuuri smirked inwardly when he saw Conrad's expression. The swordsman obviously didn't expect Yuuri to be very good. _He's in for a surprise._

The two made their way to an empty courtyard before taking their positions. The two stood facing each other, approximately ten metres away. Yuuri automatically let his left leg slide back a few inches as his left hand grasped his sword sheathe. His right hand hovered over his sword's handle as his right leg bent slightly at the knee. Conrad, on the other hand, merely stood normally as he waited for Yuuri to make the first move. Smirking, the black haired king drew his sword and darted towards Conrad, bringing it down to meet the soldier's sword with a resounding clang. His smirk widened when he saw the shock in Conrad's eyes. The soldier hadn't expected Yuuri's swing to be so powerful. Suddenly comprehending that Yuuri was no beginner in the art of swordsmanship; Conrad shifted his stance, finally taking the battle seriously. Yuuri grinned before darting backwards. While his strike was powerful, Conrad, having a larger build, would be able to dwarf him in strength easily. Fortunately, Yuuri's fighting style depended more on speed than strength.

The two continued to spar, with Yuuri darting in and out, pelting Conrad with strikes. The older fighter managed to keep up, but it was clear that he had to put in effort to do so. However, Yuuri could already feel himself beginning to tire. He would not be able to outlast Conrad in a stamina match. It was too bad too, seeing as how Naruto had been a stamina monster. Being reborn as a skinny boy with average stamina had rendered most of Naruto's battle strategies useless. Still, that didn't mean he was out of the running. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Yuuri grinned inwardly as he started to make his strikes seem weaker and slower so as to make it seem as if he was tiring quickly. He then allowed Conrad to push him backwards slowly before 'tripping' and falling backwards. Conrad immediately lowered his sword and crouched down in front of Yuuri, checking him for injuries.

"Your Majesty, are you ---" He was interrupted by a sword at his jugular. Yuuri grinned up a Conrad.

"I thought I told you not to call me that? And you should never let your guard down, Conrad." Yuuri said, pulling his sword away. "Well, that was fun. You're really good, Conrad. However, I think it's quite obvious that neither of us were putting our all into it. One day, we'll have a true spar." Yuuri stood up and sheathed his sword before looked at Conrad.

"So what should we do now? I'm still not quite ready to go to bed." He asked.

"Well, if Your Majesty is agreeable, we could play some baseball." Conrad offered.

"Baseball? There's baseball in this world?" Yuuri asked, excited. "It's already been a year since I last played."

"Why did you quit?" Conrad asked as he fished baseball gloves out of nowhere.

"Well, I'm not really sure." In truth, Yuuri had felt like it would soon be time for him to complete the task he was reborn for and that he really had no time for frivolous games.

"Then maybe you haven't really quit yet." Conrad said in reply.

"Maybe." Yuuri said as he put on a glove and squatted down into the catching position. "Give me your best shot." He challenged.

Conrad smiled before pitching. Yuuri's eyes widened as he shifted quickly to catch the ball. "Who taught you to throw like that?" He asked. That was a bad pitch.

Conrad shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"A fan of the Boston Red Sox?" Yuuri asked, surprised. "Wow, places here have similar names to ours. But Boston is a place name, right?"

"Yes, it's a city located in Massachusettes, a state in America." Conrad replied.

"Then… how?" Yuuri asked, confused.

"Because I've been there." Conrad said simply.

"Wait, who went where?" Yuuri asked, standing from his crouched position.

"Because I went to Boston. 17 years ago, while protecting Your Majesty's spirit, I ended up where you're born – the United States of America. And I returned after I witnessed the birth of the new Maou. Your Majesty's mother is very strong. Even though you were about to be born, she was complaining to the taxi driver." Conrad explained.

"What? It can't be! You mean to tell me you're the passenger who gave me my name!" Yuuri exclaimed.

"I didn't think she would use the name I gave her." He said before throwing the ball at Yuuri.

"Then the fifteen years of being teased with Shibuya Yuuri / Harajuku Fuji is 20% your fault." Yuuri groused, catching the ball flawlessly and throwing it back.

"I've been waiting for fifteen years for the day I would meet Your Majesty." Conrad said in reply.

Yuuri shifted uncomfortably. "I already told you, I'm not Julia. Please don't say things that don't really apply anymore."

"While it is true that part of me was waiting for the one with Julia's soul, I was also waiting for the next Maou – the one who would bring us salvation. You may have a different soul, but you were chosen for a reason. Your Majesty is still Your Majesty." Conrad replied firmly.

"Haven't I told you to stop calling me that? You are the one who named me." Yuuri scolded. "Am I wrong? This is the name you gave me. Use it."

Conrad stared at him for awhile before nodded, seemingly having come to a decision. He removed the necklace from around his neck and held it out for Yuuri to see.

"Wow. It's so blue." Yuuri said, staring at the stone pendent.

"Julia gave it to me." Conrad said. "I would like you to have it."

"Why? I'm ---" Yuuri began.

"I know you're not Julia, and that you don't have her soul, but I still want you to have this. You are my king and I've pledged my loyalty to you. I want you to have something as a sign of my pledge." Conrad cut in.

"You don't have to. Your promise is enough. I don't need a physical reminder." Yuuri protested.

"Please Yuuri. I want you to look after this for me. Julia would have wanted me to entrust this to you. After all, you are doing the job that she was unable to do and you are protecting the lands that she loved." Conrad pleaded.

Hesitantly, Yuuri reached out and took the necklace. "Very well. I will wear this as a tribute to the brave woman who gave her life for her people. Also, this necklace will represent your loyalty to me. As long as I wear this necklace, let it be known that Weller Conrad is loyal to Shibuya Yuuri!" Yuuri declared as he put on the necklace.

Conrad smiled. "Thank you, Your Majes—Yuuri."

The next day dawned quickly and Yuuri found himself standing opposite Wolfram.

"Now then, we will commence the duel between Wolfram von Bielefeld and King Yuuri." Gunter announced solemnly. _I see someone has faith in me._ Yuuri thought sarcastically.

"Your Majesty, Wolf, both of you do your best!" Cecilie chimed as she waved at them happily. Yuuri twitched. _How on earth had she become the Maou? Then again, I was accepted as king simply because of my hair and eyes. Their standards can't be all that high._

"I've imagined what you'd look like, begging for mercy on your knees. Thoughts like that can keep me occupied for awhile." Wolfram said nastily, sneering at Yuuri.

"Then you must not have anything important to do." Yuuri shot back, his patience thin. Yuuri then turned to grin reassuringly at Gunter. The poor guy had dark bags under his eyes. He must have stayed up all night trying to think of a way for Yuuri to get out of the duel. Yuuri then turned to look at Wolfram. It would be tempting to beat him up in a sword duel… However, Yuuri would rather not draw any blood today. Yuuri smirked. Wolfram wouldn't know what hit him. Uzumaki Naruto was known as Konoha's number 1 surprising ninja after all.

"Ne, as the one who accepted the duel, I get to choose the weapons right?" Yuuri asked.

"Yes. Feel free to choose any weapon you can find. I'll still be able to defeat you easily." Wolfram replied.

"Well then, you can choose one out of three weapons. Scissors, paper, or stone." Yuuri said, forming the symbols with his hand as he spoke. "Scissors beats paper, paper beats stone and stone beats scissors. At the count of three, the both of us will show our chosen weapon, understood?"

"What? But –" Wolfram began.

"Alright, one, two, three!" Yuuri interrupted, throwing out his hand which was closed into a fist. Wolfram, on the other hand, had chosen scissors. Yuuri smirked. He had always been rather lucky when it came to gambling or guessing games like this, his luck in his past life having carried over to this one. When it came to big catastrophic events, however, his luck does a hundred-and-eighty. "That's it then, I win. It was fun, gotta go." Yuuri said, turning around to walk away.

"I will not accept this! This is ridiculous! If you're going to be king then fight like we do in this country!" Wolfram exclaimed, drawing his sword. Yuuri sighed. He had been hoping to avoid this too.

"Very well," Yuuri said, catching the sword Conrad tossed at him. Unsheathing it quickly, Yuuri darted towards Wolfram, easily ducking under his strike. He continued dodging the blonds strikes for awhile as he waited for an opening. His chance came when Wolfram made a particularly clumsy swing. Not that his other swings were perfect. Yuuri took advantage of the opening to deliver a hard strike to Wolfram's sword, knocking it out of his hands. "You over-extended your swing. It leaves you unbalanced and splits your focus as you subconsciously try to regain your balance. This causes your grip to loosen and makes it easy for your opponent to knock your sword out of your hands. Also, your strikes are too regular. It makes it easy for your opponent to dodge them." Yuuri lectured. "Now do you yield?"

"I haven't lost yet!" Wolfram cried, enraged at being beaten. He held his hand palms up and a ball of fire appeared in his grasp.

"Wolfram! His Majesty has yet to learn of the art of magic! To use your abilities against him---" Gunter was cut off when Gwendal stood in front of him, preventing him from interfering. "Why do you interfere?" Gunter asked, narrowing his eyes at Gwendal.

"This is a good chance to test his true self." Gwendal replied.

"But His Majesty has yet to make a contract with the Yousou." Gunter protested.

"Magical power is based on the person's spirit." Gwendal argued. "If that is the true Maou, he should be able to summon magic even without making a contract."

"All the beings that make up the element of fire, obey this brave Mazoku who summons you!" Wolfram shouted as he raised his arm above his head. The fireball floating above his palm had quadrupled in size.

Yuuri narrowed his eyes at this new threat. Suddenly, the large fireball split into many small fireballs that launched themselves at him. Yuuri quickly dodged them all, mind desperately thinking of a way out of this situation.

"You may have dodged them well, but how about this?" Wolfram asked as a large lion made of fire coalesced above his head. As the fire lion charged towards him, Yuuri threw himself to the floor. Then, Yuuri heard a female scream from behind him. Turning around, he saw the fire lion charging towards a maid who was watching from the railing. His eyes widened when he saw the lion crash into her. As the lion disintegrated, the maid wobbled slightly before falling in a dead faint. Yuuri's eyes narrowed as he felt icy rage fill him. Suddenly, everything turned white.

He was floating in nothingness again. Yuuri didn't have to wait long before the four dragons appeared before him. "So what do you have to say for yourselves?" He asked them. "The least you could have done was to give me more preparation! Do you have any idea how much I need to learn in order to be a good king? I could have spent the last 15 years preparing!" Naruto demanded, glaring at the four dragons who had the grace to looked ashamed.

"We only wanted to give you a chance to enjoy your childhood. And it was too dangerous to be in Makoku with the war that was going on." Earth said quietly.

Yuuri sighed. "Forget it. What do you guys want now?" He asked.

"Well, we just wanted to tell you that we have granted you the ability to wield the elements." Wind answered.

"After all, you are our chosen Maou. Why would we not bless you like we have the other Mazoku? If anything, you are given more magical power than anyone else." Fire said.

"Good luck, young one. I'm afraid you will be needing soon." Water said.

Yuuri blinked as he found himself back on the courtyard where he was dueling Wolfram. Then he felt a tingling feeling in his veins. _Was this… magic?_ Seeing the fallen maid had the icy rage from before returning quickly. Furious, Yuuri turned to Wolfram.

"Is this what you call a duel? Involving an innocent girl? Is it?!" At the back of his mind, Yuuri registered that the tingling feeling had increased. The sky had turned dark as a storm brewed overhead. Lightning flashed as it began to pour. However, none of this brought Yuuri out of his rage. The energy pounding in his veins felt similar yet different from chakra, and Yuuri was practically glowing with it.

"Without admitting defeat, you rampage and break the royal rules. You involve a harmless girl." Yuuri realized he wasn't in complete control of himself even as he continued speaking. It felt similar to when he was being influenced by the kyuubi's chakra, except this felt more restrained. "Do you crave victory that much? Is that what you call a duel?" Distantly, Yuuri realized that his hair had grown as he felt it tickling his shoulders. However, that wasn't important now. The blond idiot needed to be taught a lesson.

"Your irrationality is like stomping on a single, beautiful flower!" _Really, did his alter ego have to talk so much? Why must my alter egos always have a complex? Kyuubi had his bloodlust and anger management problems and this guy is a melodramatic chatterbox!_ Yuuri thought irritably. "I do not intend to shed blood, but I have no choice! I will crush you!" As he spoke, Yuuri felt himself raising his arms so they were parallel to the ground. "Punishment!" He shouted as water spouted out of his palms, twirling around themselves to form two towering water dragons. The water dragons charged at Wolfram, winding around him and lifting him off the ground.

"Let me go!" Wolfram cried, his voice panicked. "Let me go!" Yuuri started as he realized that his alter ego meant to crush him. _He's just a kid. A stupid one, but you don't have to kill him._ Yuuri struggled as he tried to wrestle back control of his body. _This is MY body. _Yuuri cried mentally as he shoved his alter ego to the side. He distantly registered his hair growing shorter (how was that even possible) as he addressed the struggling Wolfram. "You are still young. You still have time to learn. However, should you cross me again; you will find that I am not always so forgiving." Yuuri said before mentally ordering his dragons to gently lower Wolfram onto the ground. "I will let you go for now, however, you had better hope that that maid is alright. If she is permanently injured, you will explain things to her family and do whatever they ask of you until you are forgiven. Do you understand?"

The blond Mazoku nodded nervously as he eyed Yuuri warily. The new king then turned to his spectators. "As for the rest of you, is this enough proof that I am the Maou?" He asked, glaring pointedly at Gwendal. Yuuri had not missed how Gwendal stopped Gunter for stepping in. He, too, was partially responsible for this situation. _How disappointing. I had thought better of him. _Yuuri thought as he observed he black haired Mazoku nodding silently at him. Yuuri sighed as he closed his eyes and focused on pulling in his magic. Soon enough, the sky cleared and the rain stopped. Yuuri stumbled as he opened his eyes. That had taken a lot out of him. He would have to practice his magic more often.

Conrad immediately sprinted towards Yuuri when he saw him stumbling. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" He asked, concerned. No Mazoku had released so much power on their first try before. Yuuri must be exhausted.

"I'm fine, merely a little tired." Yuuri replied. "Let's go back inside. I need to change my clothes."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Please follow me." Conrad said.

"Also, I want to be updated on that maid's condition. Make sure she's given all the medical care we can offer." Yuuri commanded before walking back to the castle.

Yuuri woke up slowly as his mind tried to catch up with everything that has happened so far.

"Your Majesty, you're awake." Gunter cried happily.

Yuuri blinked blurrily as he registered Gunter leaning over him. "What time is it now?" He asked, looking around for a clock as he pushed himself into a sitting position,

"It's three o'clock in the afternoon, Your Majesty. You've been sleeping for more than 20 hours. I was beginning to get worried." Gunter replied.

"I overslept? Wow. That magic stuff must have taken more out of me than I thought. How is that girl?" Yuuri asked.

"You mean Doria, the maid? Her life was not in danger. She will be able to work in a few days. Gwendal had protected her with a barrier." Gunter answered.

Yuuri looked up at that. _Gwendal did that? Hmm, it seems that I've underestimated him. He is more responsible than I thought. That is good to know. So my first impression of him wasn't wrong._ Then Yuuri started slightly when he saw another figure in the room. Yuuri glared at the pampered little prince. _Though it seems he was worried about me. Perhaps he feels some remorse? Best not to get my hopes up, though._


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Sir Weller is in a village that is run by humans." Wolfram explained in response to Yuuri's question on Conrad's whereabouts. "Being a frontier village, there have been many conflicts. He went with Gwendal to suppress them."

"Conflicts?" Yuuri asked.

"They are being pillaged by a nearby village." Wolfram replied.

"Why?" Yuuri asked. It didn't sound as if this village was targeted simply because of food and other resources. If that was the case, sending a normal troop of soldiers would be sufficient. There would be no need to send two members of the Royal Guard as well.

Yuuri and Wolfram were both saddling their horse and preparing for their trip. With some persuasion, Yuuri and managed to get Wolfram to agree to bring him to the village Conrad and Gwendal were at.

After coming to Shin Makoku, Yuuri had quickly realized that he needed to learn how to ride a horse. True to his mental vow to learn horse riding and become as good a rider as possible, the young king had practiced hard, getting Gunter to teach him the ropes. Fortunately, he was a fast learner, and after a whole day of training yesterday, Yuuri found that he was now much more comfortable with a horse and could probably travel on his own. However, he still had a long way to go if he planned to be able to fight while on horseback. After learning of Conrad's and Gwendal's whereabouts, Yuuri had decided to go there as well. A conflict that could draw away two members of the Royal Guard was most definitely not a simple conflict. Besides, this would be a good chance for Yuuri to get a grasp of what the people of his nation were like. Unfortunately, Gunter violently opposed Yuuri's suggestion of outdoor learning. Apparently the silver haired knight felt that it was too dangerous for the new king to leave the safety of the castle and was firmly against the idea of Yuuri going anywhere near a skirmish. And that was why the two boys were currently sneaking around in the stable. After preparing their horses, the two teens quickly mounted their horse and rode out. They paused for awhile in the courtyard where they waited for the rest of their party to arrive. They didn't have to wait long, as soon, three men wearing suits similar to Wolfram's arrived, each riding their own horse. With a signal from Wolfram, the small party set off into the night.

"Who are they?" Yuuri whispered as he rode beside Wolfram.

"They're my personal guard. Most of them are skilled at magic. I handpicked them myself." The blond said. It was obvious that he was proud of them. Yuuri merely nodded in reply as he discreetly studied the men riding behind him.

They rode through the night, Yuuri being determined to get to the village as soon as possible. He was getting a bad feeling about this. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, shortly after the sun had risen and bathed the land in her golden rays, their small party was able to see the village up ahead.

"There's the village." Wolfram commented. Yuuri didn't bother to respond to the obvious understatement. Instead, the new Maou narrowed his eyes as he saw the large amount of smoke billowing up from the village. _Conrad and Gwendal have already been here for more than a day. Why is the village still burning? I'm sure Gwendal would be able to put out the fire in a few minutes if he summoned the water dragons._

"Even though my brother has been here for awhile, it's still this bad…" Wolfram muttered, unknowingly voicing Yuuri's thoughts.

"Naïve as ever, I see. Do you think your brother can do anything?" A familiar voice echoed, and Yuuri immediately whipped his head to the right. _Adelbert! So he is involved. No wonder Gwendal and Conrad felt they were needed._

"Adelbert." Yuuri greeted calmly. "What business do you have here? Or are you the source of this conflict?" He asked, narrowing his eyes dangerously. Yuuri had asked Conrad about Adelbert on their way to Shin Makoku and learned of how the blond man had betrayed the demon kingdom after Julia's death. It seemed to be an insanely complicated situation involving a love triangle and corrupt officials but Yuuri had gotten the gist of it. All he needed to remember was that Adelbert was a traitor and a danger to the Mazoku. Yuuri glanced at Wolfram, wondering why he was being so quiet when he noticed the unusual pallor of his face and the sweat beading on his forehead. _What the…_ Turning behind, Yuuri realized that Wolfram's personal guard was experiencing similar symptoms. "What have you done to them?" Yuuri demanded, glaring at Adelbert.

"Oh? Quite observant, aren't you? Perhaps you aren't as much of an idiot as I'd thought." Adelbert commented. "It appears Wolfram is still as inexperienced as ever. As expected, he only brought along the best magic users. Now they're all trapped within the Houjutsu barrier. One should always have at least one soldier who can dispel magic." Adelbert lectured as he grinned smugly at the blond prince.

"But that isn't what's important right now. I'm here to save you, just as I promised. Suddenly being sent to a different world and pressured to become the Maou. The Maou is the enemy of humans. Don't you think it is cruel to expose you to such a situation? These guys needed a sacrifice. They will set you on the throne, just so that they can have a figurehead to help run the country. You are a normal human. That's why the magic seal doesn't work on you. Am I right?" Adelbert asked, confidently.

Yuuri smirked as he replied. "No, actually. Firstly, I don't need to be saved. I'm where I'm supposed to be. Also, they weren't the ones who pressured me to become the Maou. It was the elemental dragons who extracted that promise out of me. Lastly, I'm not a normal human. The reason why this Houjutsu barrier doesn't work on me is simply because I'm too powerful." Yuuri's smirk widened as he saw Adelbert's taken aback look. "Besides, I don't listen to traitors. Now tell me how you are related to this." Yuuri said, gesturing at the flames that continued to spread in the village.

Adelbert stared at him before narrowing his eyes. "I see, so you have sided with the Mazoku. I'm afraid that makes you my enemy. Don't worry though. I shall explain things so that you may be at peace when you die. Do you know who torched that village?" Adelbert paused for dramatic effect. "Humans."

"Humans are fighting other humans? How are you involved in this?" Yuuri asked.

"I simply offered them some advice. They were suffering from a famine so I told them where they could get food. After all, humans who have sided with the Mazoku should no longer be considered humans." Adelbet sneered.

"I see, so you were the instigator of this conflict. Very well." Yuuri said as he dismounted his horse and walked towards Wolfram's horse, aware of the eyes watching his every movement. "I'm the one you want, so let Wolfram and his comrades go." Yuuri said as he gave Wolfram's horse a hard smack, prompting it to gallop away. The other horses, including Yuuri's, were trained to follow Wolfram's horse and quickly galloped off as well.

"You brat." Adelbert muttered as he watched Wolfram and his party getting further and further away.

"Wolfram _did_ choose someone who could resist magic." Yuuri said, smirking at Adelbert. He might not get along with Wolfram, but when facing an enemy, it was always a good idea to present a united front. "Now, I believe we have some business to settle." Yuuri continued as he lay a hand on his katana, his eyes were already analysing Adelbert and cataloguing whatever information Yuuri could glean from the man.

Adelbert dismounted his horse as well and he drew his large blade. "I didn't want to do this, but I'm afraid I'll have to kill you. It would be troublesome to have the Mazoku with a Maou in power." He said as he strode slowly towards Yuuri.

Yuuri drew his own blade in response, sliding into a battle stance. "Then let's dance." He said simply before charging at Adelbert. They locked swords but Adelbert's strength easily dwarfed Yuuri's and the smaller boy was forced to dart backwards. Yuuri darted around Adelbert, making sharp, quick strikes at whatever openings he could find and dodging Adelbert's blade the best he could. Adelbert was probably slightly below Conrad's level, but unlike Conrad, he wasn't holding back at all. In fact, once he had realized that Yuuri was skilled with the blade, Adelbert and started to go all out, putting his considerable power into his strikes. Yuuri winced when Adelbert's blade nicked his shoulder. At this rate, one hit from Adelbert and Yuuri would be down for the count. As it was, simple glancing blows were able to cut quite deeply. Yuuri gritted his teeth as he avoided yet another deadly swing. If he was in top condition, he would probably be able to match this guy. As it was, Yuuri was tired from riding through the night and pain kept shooting up his spine at his every movement. _Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to ride on a horse for two consecutive days._ Yuuri thought dryly, remembering how he spent most of yesterday learning how to ride a horse. Yuuri's eyes widened before he desperately threw himself out of the way of another strike. However, in doing so, Yuuri had left himself unbalanced and vulnerable to Adelbert's next swing. _Shit._ Was all he could think before the large blade descended on his head.

Fortunately, just at that moment, a Kohi appeared and took the blow for him. Yuuri blinked as the skeleton crumbled to the ground at his feet. The skeleton chattered weakly at him and Yuuri looked up to glare at Adelbert.

"I've never seen a kotsuhizoku act like this before. But man, what a weird thing that is." Adelbert said, looking down at the kohi with disdain.

"Shut up. What do you know?" Yuuri asked angrily as he prepared himself for round two. He knew the kohi would be fine if he just put it back together so he wasn't too worried about the flying demon.

"Your Majesty!" Yuuri inwardly sighed in relief when he recognized the voice calling out at him. Conrad was here. Thank goodness. Yuuri wasn't sure how much longer he would last.

"Doesn't this seem familiar?" Adelbert said before turning and mounting his horse.

"Your Majesty! Are you alright?" Conrad asked, galloping at full speed towards Yuuri.

"We will meet again. Have fun with that pile of bones." Adelbert gave as a parting shot before turning and galloping away.

"After him!" Conrad ordered and the four soldiers with him immediately nodded and raced after Adelbert. As he watched the soldier galloping away, Conrad dismounted and embraced Yuuri from behind. "Thank goodness, Your Majesty. I didn't think I would make it this time." Conrad said, relief clear in his voice.

"I feel the same way." Yuuri admitted. "And I finally understand the feeling of embracing another guy. Or being embraced, rather." He said, grinning up at Conrad. Then Yuuri turned at the sound of more hooves hitting the dirt. "Wolfram! Are you okay?" He asked, recognizing the blond pretty boy.

"There is no reason for you to worry about me." He said rudely in response.

"Then I won't." Yuuri said simply. He couldn't be bothered to argue with the immature prince at the moment. "By the way," He asked, addressing Conrad, "How did you know I was here?"

"While we were fighting in the village along the border, the kotsuhizoku with us felt the predicament you were in. They are able to communicate with each other in they own way." Conrad explained. Yuuri nodded. He remembered reading about something like that. He then turned and crouched down beside the kohi lying on the floor.

"Come help me put him together, Conrad. This guy saved my life." Yuuri said as he started to piece the skeleton together. Conrad quickly crouched down as well and the two got to work.

Yuuri sighed as he looked around the medicine tent. It was the same everywhere. Wars always had casualties. _You'd think people would learn by now that wars only brought pain and suffering. But no, they just had to keep starting new wars._ Yuuri thought disgustedly. _Humans always like to refer to demons as monsters. How are they any different if they are so willing to inflict such suffering on fellow humans?_ Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Yuuri approached the lone doctor in the tent. The poor girl looked frazzled and exhausted. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked.

The girl jumped before turning to face him. When she recognized him, she gave a start before immediately bowing lowly to him. "Y-Your Majesty!" She exclaimed, surprised. Yuuri calmly repeated his question as he watched her compose herself. "N-Not at all, Your Majesty. I will be fine by myself." She said quickly.

"Really, I don't mind. What is your name?" Yuuri asked, hoping to get the girl to be more comfortable around him.

"My name is Gisela." She replied, straightening to look at him.

"Gisela? That's a good name." He complimented before turning to pick up a bottle and some gauze. "So, who needs antiseptic?" He asked, looking around.

"Don't come near me!" The patient on the bed cried out. "I don't need help from Mazoku! You guys are our enemy."

"You had best watch your tone." Yuuri replied, narrowing his eyes. "You guys were the ones who attacked. This village is run by humans, you are attacking people of your own species." He said angrily.

"They are not the same!" The man protested. "They have joined with the Mazoku. They aren't human anymore! They just aren't human anymore!" He insisted. Yuuri clenched his fists tightly as he glared at the patient. He reminded him of the bigoted villagers from his past life who turned against anyone who treated him nicely, calling them 'demon lovers'.

"I'll take care of this by myself." Gisela spoke up. "Your Majesty should take a rest outside." Yuuri turned to her before nodding curtly and striding out. He would be more of a hindrance than a help here.

Yuuri spotted Conrad observing the burning village and walked towards him. "Conrad, why isn't Gwendal putting out the fire? Can't he use magic?" Yuuri asked.

"Gwendal is trying, but he is not strong enough to put out the fire. Wolfram might have been able to help, but he was weakened by the Houjutsu barrier." Conrad replied.

"What do you mean? Gwendal only needs to summon a few water dragons and the fires would be put out in no time." Yuuri tilted his head to a side, confused.

"Most Mazoku aren't capable of summoning much more then a few small spheres of the element they specialize in. Gwendal himself specializes in earth magic. While he may summon a few water balls, he can't do much more than that. Wolfram, who is slightly more proficient in magic and specializes in fire, would probably be able to weaken the flames more." Conrad explained. Yuuri stared at him in shock. He'd thought that everyone could perform feats similar to what he did easily. After all, he thought himself as a mere beginner when it came to magic.

There was a pattering of horses' feet as Gwendal approached them, pulling a prisoner bound at the wrists behind him. "This man was incited by Adelbert." He told Conrad. "It seems there was a fire user among the pillagers. That's why the fire grew."

"I thought so." Conrad replied.

"By the way, are you just going to watch? Or are you going to bless us with your water elemental to put out the ever-spreading fire?" Gwendal asked, turning to address Yuuri.

Squinting at the flames and analyzing the size of the fire, Yuuri nodded. "I'll try, but I make no promises. The last time took a lot out of me and right now I'm exhausted." Yuuri then closed his eyes and focused on bringing out the power he could feel lying dormant within himself. The process was similar to drawing out Kyuubi's chakra. Feeling the power flood through his veins, Yuuri's eyes opened, glowing with magic. Once again, the sky darkened and rain started to pour. Yuuri spread his palms in front of him so that they faced the burning village before calling forth the water dragons. A dragon burst out from each of his palms and flew towards the village, drenching the flames. Then Yuuri retracted his hands before pushing them out again. This time, a large wind was generated, and it blew away the smoke that hovered around the village. Task completed, Yuuri reined in his power before he felt his knees giving out beneath him. However, before he could fall on his bum, strong hands wrapped themselves around him, supporting him. "Thanks, Conrad." Yuuri said as he leaned heavily on the swordsman.

Gwendal, Wolfram and the other people around stared at the spectacle in awe. Whispers immediately broke out amongst the villagers as they all pointed and stared at Yuuri. Breaking himself from his reverie, Gwendal made a signal and two soldiers tugged the prisoner away, pushing him towards a group of villagers. "This is the man who burned down your village. Do what you want with him. Kill him, if you must." Gwendal said, addressing the villagers.

Yuuri's eyes widened at that command. "Wait! What are you doing? This guy might be the culprit but how will killing him solve anything?" Yuuri cried, trying to put a stop to this madness. However, as it was, he could barely stand on his own.

"Aniue," Wolfram began, turning to Gwendal. "Can this attack be considered as a declaration of war?" He asked. Yuuri was disturbed to see that Wolfram was almost happy at the prospect. _Did that idiot not know anything? A war should be avoided at all costs!_

"That is quite enough." Yuuri said firmly. "Wars should only be waged as a last resort and nothing more. Wars bring nothing but pain and suffering. What the people deserve is peace and someone needs to fight for it. What are you guys doing? Waiting for the opportunity to declare a war? What foolishness!" Yuuri exclaimed angrily, still leaning on Conrad for support.

"Shut up, Outsider. I have a responsibility to the people of Shin Makoku. I don't know how things are run in your country, but we, the Mazoku, have our own way of dealing with things." Gwendal said fiercely.

"Then… Then, I will change it. As your Maou, I will change it!" Yuuri stated firmly. He may have failed to protect Konoha from war, but things would be different this time around. He would make sure of it.

Suddenly, the prisoner broke free from the guards holding him and charged towards Yuuri. "I'll kill you! I will kill the Maou!" He shouted as he ran, an insane glint in his eyes. Conrad immediately sprung into action. Holding onto Yuuri with one arm, he swiftly knocked out the man by smashing the hilt of his sword into the man's temple. As the man crumpled to the ground, Yuuri sighed. He'd tried to save him. Wolfram quickly ordered a few soldiers to take the unconscious man away, and Yuuri didn't protest this time. He'd done his best, but he can't help someone who didn't want his help. The situation was much like the one in the healing tent. Yuuri could only offer a helping hand. It was up to others whether or not they wanted to accept it.

The large bell toned as the trumpeters happily blew their trumpets. Celebrations were happening everywhere as the people of Shin Makoku rejoiced. The new Maou was to be crowned today!

Yuuri, who was once again clad in his school uniform though this time he had an additional blue garment to wrap around his shoulders, walked regally up the steps and towards the holy fountain. Cecilie was standing beside the fountain and smiled at him reassuringly.

"Calm down." She told him.

"I just need to stick my hand in there, right?" Yuuri asked.

"Yes. To become the King, that's the only task you need to do." She confirmed. "Easy, isn't it?"

Yuuri chuckled nervously as he approached the fountain which resembled a mini-waterfall. Sticking his hand into it, Yuuri sighed. Why was he doing this again? Oh yeah, because he promised the dragons. Damn him and his inability to say no. Suddenly, Yuuri felt something grabbed his hand. _What the… Is this part of the test to become king?_ When the tugging increased, Yuuri started to get worried. "Something's pulling me! Is this supposed to happen? Conrad, help!" He cried, starting to panic as he felt half his body being pulled in. Conrad and Gunter immediately sprinted towards him and tried to pull him out, but the force was too strong. Soon, Yuuri found himself pulled into the fountain and everything went black.

Yuuri groaned as he opened his eyes. _What happened?_ He blinked when he saw Murata Ken crouched in front of him.

"Thank goodness you came to." He was saying.

"Murata Ken? Didn't you run away?" Yuuri asked, confused. _What is going on? Am I back in the girls' toilet? What happened to Shin Makoku?_

"I can't leave behind someone who saved me." The other student explained. "He seems to be alright." Murata said, turning to the officer standing nearby.

Yuuri merely leaned back and sighed. He had the nagging feeling that his task was not complete. It seemed he would be travelling between worlds for quite some time.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Ahh… This feels so good. A bath after practice is great." Yuuri sighed contentedly as he relaxed in the hot bath with Murata. After playing baseball with Conrad, Yuuri had realized just how much he missed baseball. Thus, after returning to Earth, Yuuri immediately signed up for the baseball club. He would not be on the school team, but Yuuri didn't care about that. He only wanted to play the game. He soon found out that Murata Ken was the recreational team manager and the two boys became fast friends.

"Shibuya, that's not what a kid would say." Murata said in a long suffering tone.

"Whatever." Yuuri replied. "I'm just glad that I can play baseball again."

"Yeah, you look like you're having fun." Murata agreed.

"That's right." Yuuri said, turning towards the other boy. "You know what happened to me in middle school." That was the time where Yuuri's nightmares of his past life had been the worst. The lack of restful sleep left Yuuri tired and yawning during training and the coach kicked him off the team. After that, it seemed pointless to continue playing when Yuuri learnt that he had a task to fulfill.

"Yeah. It was too bad that you quit baseball." Murata said.

"You think so? I was just a benchwarmer." Yuuri asked, thinking back to the 'good old days'. As Yuuri continued to reminisce, Murata got out of the hot bath and started to scrub himself. Neither noticed when a small whirlpool formed in the hot bath. Yuuri continued to relax until he felt a slight shift in the water around him. Opening his eyes, they widened at the sight of the miniature whirlpool that was quickly growing bigger. He only had time to think: '_Oh crap' _before he was pulled into the whirlpool.

Yuuri shuddered as he thought about how he'd arrived in the world of Mazoku this time. He had turned up in a bath where he'd been immediately glomped by some men who were over excited at meeting the new king. Fortunately, Gunter showed up and the men switched targets quickly. That allowed Conrad to swiftly bundle him away. Currently, Yuuri was admiring the clothes they had commissioned for him. Apparently, Gunter had ordered the Imperial seamstress to make an outfit identical to his school uniform.

"Black definitely looks good on you." Gunter gushed as he eyed Yuuri up and down.

"You don't have to flatter me that much." Yuuri said in response. He still wasn't used to the level of admiration Gunter apparently held for him. "So where is this?" Yuuri asked, looking around. "This isn't the castle I was in the last time, right?"

"You can tell the difference! Your Majesty is so sharp!" Gunter complimented.

"You're right, Your Majesty. This is the Walde castle, built in the west of Shin Makoku." Conrad replied.

"Walde? You mean this is Gwendal's castle?" Yuuri asked.

"That's right." Conrad answered.

"Papers that need your signature have piled up in your absence, Your Majesty." Gunter reported. Yuuri, Conrad and Gunter were currently in the study where Yuuri stared at the piles of paperwork with dread. He had suffered through this torture as Rokudaime, and here he was putting himself through this again. Next time dragons ask for his help, Yuuri would be sure to give them a resolute 'yadda!' (AN: yadda translates into 'definitly not' or 'no way')

"Amongst these documents are reports on tax distribution, permission to build dikes for the river ---" Gunter would have rambled on but Yuuri cut him off.

"Right, right. I'll get right to it." He said, groaning inwardly. _And I can't use Kage Bunshin here too._ Yuuri sulked as he picked up his quill and started on the horrible paperwork. _At least I'll be able to learn more about Shin Makoku this way. Kami knows I learnt more about Konoha from doing a day's worth of paperwork than I did in all of Iruka's classes combined._ He thought, trying to console himself.

A few hours later found Yuuri banging his head against the table. He had managed to finish more than half of the towering piles but the information overload had given him a throbbing headache. Unfortunately, it seemed his head banging was only serving to exacerbate the pounding in his head.

"Why don't you take a break, Your Majesty? You've been at it for a few hours already. Frankly, I'm surprised you have lasted so long." Conrad spoke up from his position against the wall.

"In my past life, I was unfortunate enough to be dumped in a position with an equal amount of paperwork. Experience does make it easier, but this is still cruel and unusual punishment in my opinion." Yuuri explained.

"You mean to say you can remember your past life, Your Majesty?" Conrad asked, intrigued.

"I told you not to call me that, Nazukeoya (AN: this literally means man who gave me my name). And yes, I can. Well, my memories were returned to me in doses starting on my fifth birthday. I started getting dreams that were actually memories from my past life." Yuuri said.

"What is it like, living in a body of child while having the memories of an adult?" Conrad asked. He'd never heard of anything like this before and was understandably curious.

"Rather boring, actually. After all the drama I went through in my previous life, going through high school just seems so monotonous." Yuuri replied honestly.

"What… What was your past life like?" Conrad asked hesitantly, watching Yuuri carefully for his reaction.

"I'm afraid that is a conversation for another time." Yuuri answered firmly, trying to hide the way his spine stiffened at Conrad's question. Thankfully, before Conrad could say anything more, the door opened and Gunter strode in.

"Your Majesty, there is an urgent matter I need to discuss with you. Oh my! Have you already completed so much work? Your Majesty is truly brilliant! What a sharp and focused mind you must have. Shin Makoku is truly blessed to have one as ---"

Yuuri decided to cut Gunter off before he could start another monologue about his greatness. "Yes, Gunter. Thank you. Now what is this urgent matter you need to discuss with me?" He asked, bringing the silver haired man back to the matter at hand.

Gunter cleared his throat awkwardly, blushing at having his mouth run away with itself. Then his expression cleared and became more somber. "The humans are getting restless. Fighting is inevitable. Please, think about preparing for battle." Gunter said, trying to get Yuuri to understand.

"I've told you, Gunter. I will not resort to war unless there is truly no other option. As it is, things are still salvageable." Yuuri replied. "They have not yet launched a full scale attack or given us a formal declaration of war. As such, I believe war can still be avoided." Then he sighed, massaging his temples tiredly. "However, I understand your concern. Shin Makoku will not be a sitting duck. I will ensure that the right preparations are made. What is the current status of the humans?"

Gunter opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by the opening of the door as Gwendal entered the room, followed quickly by his youngest brother. "The humans have begun to hire those who can wield magic. They will need to have spell casters if they wish to match us in battle." Gwendal answered.

"I see. And these spell casters are strong enough to pose a threat to our own? Very well. Training must be stepped up. Please relay my orders to the army barracks. All soldiers are to be whipped into shape, I don't care if they are able to wield magic or not. The few of you will have to increase your training as well. Gunter, I'm told you were a well known master swordsman. Perhaps it is time to once again pick up your blade. I, myself, will need to have training in both wielding magic and weapons." Yuuri ordered, mind moving at lightning speeds as he analyzed the situation. Turning toward Conrad he asked, "Conrad, do you think you will be able to train me in sword fighting?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll be honoured." He replied.

"Good. As for my magic, Gwendal, could you help me find a suitable teacher?" Yuuri asked.

"If Your Majesty is agreeable, I am willing to offer my services. Wolfram would probably be able to give you a few pointers as well." Gwendal answered.

"Excellent. So that is settled. Now tell me what our food and weapon stores are like? Do we need to stock up more on those?"

Gunter spoke up this time. "Our food and weapon stores are not a problem. We will probably be able to last for at least 5 to 6 months. However, just in case, I have taken the liberty to commission more weapon smiths. Also, the people have been encouraged to store as much dried food as possible."

"Well done, Gunter." Yuuri praised. "Will recruitment be a problem? Do we have enough soldiers?"

"Recruitment is at an all-time high, Your Majesty." Conrad answered. "The people are greatly encouraged by the fact that we have a new Maou. Also, with the rumors of your great magical power floating around, many men are excited about being able to fight alongside you."

"I see. What is the age limit for recruitment? If possible, I don't want any children to be involved in this." Yuuri said solemnly. He remembered all the children who had been forced to grow up quickly. Too quickly. Sai, Gaara, Konohomaru, and Haku were but a few names that immediately came to mind. He, himself, had not been allowed a true childhood.

"Recruits must be at least 15 years old and those below the age of 17 will have to have parental consent." Wolfram replied, speaking for the first time.

"Good. Then everything seems to be in order. Is there a reason for you coming to find us, Gwendal?" Yuuri asked. Things were going much more smoothly than the war preparations in Konoha. It appears that he had been gifted with intelligent and capable knights. Shin Makoku was lucky to have such loyal officials. In Konoha, he had had to constantly struggle against the bigoted and corrupt council, not to mention all the back-stabbing that was occurring. _Maybe this wouldn't be so bad._ Yuuri thought.

"Yes, actually. There seems to be another storm brewing. It's Cabalcade. He disguised himself as a Sondar guard and distributed the money." Gwendal replied, looking at Gunter meaningfully.

"Gwendal, isn't it your responsibility to report first to your king? His Majesty is not aware of the facts; please give an overview of the situation." Conrad spoke, still leaning against the wall.

Gwendal turned to look at Yuuri, almost as if measuring his worth. After a minute, he nodded. It seemed Yuuri had passed his silent inspection. However, just as Gwendal was about to open his mouth to answer, the door slammed open and a girl with bright red hair stood grinning in the doorway. Everyone whipped around to look at the new addition to the room.

"Gwendal!" She said, with an expression of glee. In contrast, Gwendal's face had paled dramatically and droplets of sweat were beading on his forehead. "Gwendal, I've invented a new magical device! Will you help me test it?" She exclaimed excitedly. Yuuri could have sworn that there were tiny golden sparkles surrounding her as she said this. However, her words seemed to have the effect of a death toll as Gwendal paled further and even took a small step backwards. Then it seemed the girl realized that there were other occupants in the room.

"Oh? Your Majesty! It's been a long time, ne? The last time was at the inauguration ceremony. I'm of a lower rank among the royal nobles so I couldn't speak with you directly." She explained. "I am Lady Anissina von Khrennikov."

"She's Gwendal's childhood friend." Conrad added. Their small group was seated around a table in a different room. After Anissina's arrival, Gwendal had quickly excused himself, muttering something about having to talk to the army generals before practically fleeing the room. While Yuuri was still trying to digest the black haired knight's sudden departure, Conrad had ushered everyone into an adjoining room where they now were. _A childhood friend? That's not exactly how one normally reacts to a childhood friend. Well, unless said childhood friend was Sakura who wanted to have a hand-to-hand spar._ Yuuri thought, shuddering as he remembered the monstrous strength Sakura had inherited from her sensei – Tsunade.

"I completely understand your viewpoint, Your Majesty." Anissina was saying enthusiastically. "If these foolish men start another pointless war, the women and children who will be in trouble. I will help you." She decided. "The objective is to not let the humans near here, is it not?"

"You are able to do that?" Yuuri asked, intrigued. If this woman was able to keep the humans out of Shin Makoku's boundaries, a war could be avoided! But the feat sounded impossible. _Exactly what is she proposing?_ However, before Anissina could reply, Wolfram jumped to his feet.

"Don't do it, Your Majesty!" He exclaimed panicked. Yuuri frowned. What was going on around here? Why was everyone so terrified of Anissina?

"If you use my new invention, it'll be no problem." Anissina declared proudly and Yuuri raised an eyebrow. _An invention?_ "It happens to be right here." She said, turning and walking to her right.

"W-Wait! Anissina!" Wolfram cried desperately and Yuuri started to get a little worried. _It couldn't be that bad, right?_ Anissina proudly strode to a giant golden contraption that Yuuri couldn't figure out the use for. It looked slightly like a standing fan except it was much more elaborate.

"The Magic-Powered Wind Summoner." Anissina introduced proudly as she stood beside her invention, hands on her hips. "By using this, neither people, nor horses, nor boats can get near here. And we will repress the humans' aggression."

"Won't that interrupt trade? What about sailors returning from their journeys? I'm afraid your invention isn't very practical. Also, it seems to me that it will only work to seal off incoming invaders from one direction. Unless you plan to build several of these… Wind Summoners and surround Shin Makoku with it? Nevetheless, having a powerful fan will have its uses. If it is truly as powerful as you say, this fan might be able to protect our frontier villages. It can be used to distract the enemy while the villagers get to safety." Yuuri pondered thoughtfully. Anissina, who looked devastated when Yuuri pointed out the flaws in her great plan brightened when he suggested alternative uses for her invention.

"Now, Gunter, fulfill your King's wish by using your magic to power it up!" Anissina commanded excitedly.

"If it will help His Majesty, then I will be happy to." Gunter said, standing up regally. "So, what should I do?" Wolfram had his head buried in his hands while Conrad was simply smiling serenely. _In some ways, Conrad really reminds me of Sai._ Yuuri thought, shuddering at the comparison to the slightly insane artist. _Thankfully he doesn't go around making perverted comments._ _Wait, were they going to activate the device here? If it is as powerful as Anissina makes it out to be, then won't we be in danger of being blown away. Still, neither Wolfram nor Conrad looks particularly worried…_

"Concentrate all your magic on that crank and push it as hard as you can." Anissina instructed as Gunter put his effort into pushing the crank. However, even with Gunter pushing with all his strength, all that was generated was a slight breeze. "Pathetic." Anissina admonished. "This is why you can't trust man. Conrad, how about you?" She turned, looking at Conrad hopefully.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any magic." Conrad said, not looking apologetic in the least. In fact, the soldier was still smiling.

"I think strength is more important than magic." Yuuri muttered quietly, staring at the panting Gunter. Anissina gave Gunter one last glare before brightening and seemingly teleporting next to another device. This time, it was a metallic device that looked like a miniature stadium. "The next one is the Magical Earthquake Summoner. If you jump on this platform, an earthquake will be generated that is strong enough to prevent people from walking around." She boasted. "And you can get a workout too!" She added happily. Yuuri merely stared at her before shaking his head. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Are Anissina's inventions always like that?" Yuuri asked. They had finally been able to slip away from Anissina and her crazy inventions. They were now back in the study where Yuuri was completing the rest of his paperwork.

"Yes." Conrad, who seemed to be acting as Yuuri's personal guard, replied. "Although her guinea pig is usually Gwendal." _That explains why Gwendal hightailed out of here so quickly._ Yuuri thought in amusement.

"Gwendal must have it tough." Yuuri mused before something caught his eye. Through the window, he could see a few men dressed in a dark green uniform similar to what Gwendal wore. They seemed to be preparing their horses. "Who are they?" Yuuri asked.

"Gwendal's personal guard." Conrad replied, confirming Yuuri's suspicions. "They deliver messages to forces in other areas." He elaborated.

"So does each of you have a personal guard? And do they all wear the same uniforms as you do?" Yuuri asked.

"Yes, we do." Conrad replied. "Gwendal, Wolfram and I each have our own personal guard that was handpicked by us. Gunter doesn't have one as he usually stays in the various castles and handles domestic affairs."

"I see." Yuuri murmured as he watched the men from Gwendal's personal guard mounting their horses and leaving the castle. "It really looks like a war is starting." He sighed.

"Yuuri." Conrad called, turning to look at him in concern.

"I keep saying that I want to avoid war, that war should only be waged as a last resort. However, it seems that is the direction we're heading towards. So far, everything I've done is mostly talk. I need to take action before it is too late." Yuuri muttered quietly.

"Yuuri, I believe in you." Conrad said. "I know you can do it. That's why I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen."

Looking up, Yuuri offered Conrad a grateful smile. "Thanks." He said sincerely before pushing himself to his feet. "I'm not so arrogant to believe that I am able to do this without help. I believe it is time for me to confer with those I trust. Conrad, could you round up the members of the Royal knights? It is time we had a discussion."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Would you like me to summon them here immediately?" Conrad asked.

"Yes, please summon them immediately." Yuuri confirmed before retaking his seat and skimming over the documents in front of him. He might as well get some work done while he waited for the knights to gather.

Yuuri rested his elbows on the desk and interlaced his fingers as he stared at his knights. Conrad was once again leaning against a wall and trying to blend into the background. However, unlike before, Conrad was standing within Yuuri's field of vision instead of leaning against the wall behind Yuuri. Gwendal, Wolfram and Gunter were seated in the three seats in front of Yuuri's desk. Conrad had ordered his men to bring the chairs into the study while he fetched the rest of the knights. Yuuri was glad that the swordsman had had the foresight to do so, for he himself would not have thought of it. Clearing his throat, Yuuri decided to get things started.

"I apologize if I have interrupted anything important, but there is an important matter I wish to discuss with you." Yuuri began, looking steadily at the men in front of him. "As things are now, we are heading towards war. I would like to change that. However, I must admit that being raised in another world, I do not have the knowledge necessary to complete such an endeavor. As such, I would like to seek your advice on this matter. What must be done that would allow us to avoid a war?" Yuuri asked.

There was a short silence as everyone pondered over Yuuri's question before Gwendal spoke up. "There is a way," he admitted. "We just need to make the humans not want to attack us. Gunter." He called, giving the former swordsman the figurative stage.

"There is a legendary weapon held by the Mazoku that only the Maou can use. It is an ultimate weapon that can destroy everything in this world. Its name is 'Morgif'." Gunter explained. Yuuri's eyes narrowed. This weapon sounded a lot like the nuclear bomb back on Earth and _that_ battle had not ended well. However, if only the Maou could wield it…

"It was last used eight Maous ago." Gunter continued. "Since then, its location has been unknown. However…"

"You found it?" Yuuri asked hesitantly. Things couldn't be this easy.

"I see. If this ultimate weapon is returned to the Maou, then other nations will think twice about attacking us." Wolfram said. Yuuri had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. _Thanks for stating the obvious._ He thought sarcastically.

"So where is it?" Yuuri asked impatiently.

"Far away, across the ocean, on an island called the Bandarbia." Gunter replied. "But to take His Majesty to such a place…"

"Morgif can only be handled by the Maou." Conrad reminded him, immediately crushing any objections Gunter might have made.

"Then we will leave for Bandarbia as soon as possible. I will do whatever it takes to avoid a war." Yuuri decided. _Everything seems to be going so smoothly. But why do I have this nagging feeling that things are going too smoothly? Is it simply a coincidence that the sword was found after I became the Maou? It's almost as if we're following a path that someone has paved for us. The dragons said they needed someone with a pure soul but so far I've not faced any real obstacles. I'm sure anyone would have been able to achieve what I have so far. No, it can't be this simple. I will just have to keep my guard up and see what there is in store for me._


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Will His Majesty will be alright?" Gunter asked for the umpteenth time that morning. The poor knight was basically driving himself crazy with worry at the thought of Yuuri being away from the castle and going to retrieve Morgif. Taking a step back, Gunter accidentally walked into a stand holding up an antique vase, knocking it over. Staring at the broken vase on the floor, Gunter gasped. "A bad omen. If anything were to befall His Majesty…" He said, backing away from the vase as if it were the plague. Unfortunately, he hit another antique vase, knocking it over ask well. "Again?! A bad omen!" He exclaimed, already working himself up into a panic.

"Are you trying to destroy this castle, Gunter?" Gwendal asked, striding into the room. "Perhaps you should try calming down?"

Gunter gasped when he saw Gwendal. He immediately grabbed Gwendal's face with a hand and pulled it closer. "Gwendal! You have three more wrinkles than you usually do! What a bad omen!" Gunter cried, practically in histerics. "Your Majesty!"

Gwendal quickly pried his face free before turning on his heel and striding away. "I can't deal with you." He muttered, fighting the urge to face palm.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Wolfram today." Anissina commented from where she was calmly sipping tea.

"Wolfram? That selfish loafer?" Gunter asked.

Gwendal paused midstep. "Selfish loafer?!" He pondered if he should defend his little brother's honor before deciding against it. "I thought the same way." He admitted before continuing on his way.

"I also vote for 'selfish loafer'." Anissina piped in, taking another sip of her tea.

"Okay, here I go." Conrad said. The three of them – that is to say Conrad, Yuuri and Wolfram – were in a room of a ship that was headed to Bandarbia. Wolfram was currently dozing on the bed whilst Conrad and Yuuri were fixing up the new Maou's disguise.

"Don't make it hurt, Conrad." Yuuri muttered quietly as he stared at the contact lenses in Conrad's hands. He would take kunai and shuriken over this any day. _Seriously, why do people willingly put those things into their eyes?!_

"Just leave it to me." Conrad assured him. "It'll be fine." Suddenly, Wolfram sprang up from the bed and whipped round to stare at them.

"What are you two doing?" The blond demanded. Yuuri and Conrad merely stared at him, surprised by his sudden question and the ferocity with which he asked it. As time passed, Wolfram had found himself nursing a crush for his new king. Yuuri always seemed so calm and in control no matter what situation he found himself in. At first, Wolfram had been afraid and humiliated after the crushing defeat he experienced at the king's hands. However, when Wolfram saw how determined Yuuri was to protect Shin Makoku and her citizens, his view of the new Maou changed. Respect quickly turned into attraction, and Wolfram now found himself hopelessly in love with Yuuri.

Conrad blinked at Wolfram before turning back to Yuuri. "There, all done. The contact lenses are now in your eyes. This way no matter who sees you, you'll look human. It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"My eyes feel irritated." Yuuri complained, blinking rapidly.

"What's wrong, Wolfram?" Conrad asked, turning to look at his little brother.

"N-Nothing." Wolfram muttered, laying back down on the bed as he felt his stomach revolting.

"Your seasickness seems to have worsened since last night." Yuuri commented.

"This is your punishment for deciding to travel in secret. Now then, let's go get breakfast." Conrad said before walking away.

"Don't talk about food in front of me." Wolfram half-whined from his position on the bed.

"You should eat something. Like yoghurt, which is easy to swallow." Yuuri suggested as he, too, stood up to follow Conrad. Unfortunately, his words had Wolfram immediately heaving his stomach into the bowl on the table beside the bed. Sweatdropping, Yuuri muttered to himself. "So yoghurt has the opposite effect."

Yuuri exited the room after Conrad, pondering over Wolfram's sea-sickness. _It seems one really cannot judge others by appearances. I'd never have pegged Wolfram as someone with a weak stomach. Then again, boys like him often put on airs to cover up their inadequacies. From that viewpoint, maybe it isn't so surprising that Wolfram suffers from sea-sickness._ Yuuri looked up when he noticed someone else exiting the room a few doors down from his. It was an old man holding the hand of a little girl, presumably his granddaughter.

"Hello." Yuuri greeted politely.

"My, my." The old man said, walking towards Yuuri. "A good morning to you, too." He said, taking off his hat and wig while bowing to Yuuri, his bright head shining. Yuuri immediately recognized Calbacade's form of greeting. He had read up a little on foreign customs, so that he'd be ready to deal with any ambassadors of neighboring countries. Besides, it was interesting to read about the various kinds of greetings in this world. People seemed to come up with much more creative ways to say hello over here. Yuuri quickly swept into a deep bow, his arms crossed over his chest to form an 'X'. This was the universal greeting of this world and it was appropriate as Yuuri didn't want to give away his origins and would rather not lie use another country's greeting and risk getting questioned about it.

The old man smiled approvingly at Yuuri. "It is rare to see a young man like yourself familiar with the formal forms of greeting." He complimented. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Mishna Hristo Cruyff. This is my daughter, Beatrice." _Daughter? Wow. So maybe he isn't as old as I thought. Then again I based my judgment on his grey hair which I now know to be a wig._ Then Yuuri realized that the man was looking at him expectantly, waiting for a response.

"Oh! My name is Mitsuzaya. I'm from the crepe store in Echigo." Yuuri introduced, remembering the alias he was travelling under. "This is my friend, Kakunousuke." Yuuri said, gesturing to Conrad.

"I see. In any case, you're from somewhere very far." Cruyff commented. However, before he could say anything more, there was a loud cry of "you idiot!" coming from above deck. Yuuri immediately gave Conrad a glance before taking off to where the shout was coming from. Conrad quickly bowed to Cruyff apologetically before sprinting after Yuuri.

"How many times do I have to tell you?!" Yuuri heard the same voice exclaim as he sprinted up the steps. There was a loud thump that sounded suspiciously like a body being thrown to the ground and Yuuri gritted his teeth as he forced his feet to move faster. When he finally reached the deck, he saw a young sandy-blond haired boy on the ground and a man wearing a sailor's uniform towering over him.

"Hey!" Yuuri shouted. "Do you always hit your apprentice in the mornings?"

The sailor turned around at the interruption. "Shut up!" He said angrily, before he realized that he was shouting at a passenger. "U-Uh Sir. Sorry to create such an ugly scene but he made a stupid mistake." The sailor said, his tone quickly changing to a respectful one.

Yuuri growled and was about to reply when Conrad placed a hand on his shoulder, silencing him. Conrad then strode forward towards the sailor. "It's annoying. You are ruining my master's mood." Conrad said, easily falling into the role of a rich man's servant. Conrad then surreptitiously slipped a few coins into the sailor's hand.

"Thank you for this." The sailor said, smiling at the thought of being given extra cash.

"Enough. Hurry up and go." Conrad ordered.

"Hai!" The sailor agreed quickly, before running off. The blond boy pushed himself off the floor, wincing in pain before bowing to both Conrad and Yuuri gratefully. Then he, too, walked away quickly.

"I don't like this." Yuuri commented. "Everything can be solved by using money."

"Yes. But now we know that that man can be influenced by money." Conrad said.

Yuuri sighed. "That doesn't make me like the situation any more. Why are there always people like that? No matter what world I'm in, its always the same." _And I would be a good person to judge too, seeing as how I've already been to three worlds._ Yuuri thought as he stared out into the sea.

Yuuri winced as yet another chicken bone was thrown onto the floor. "This is incredible. This is the human's custom?" He asked Conrad, watching all the rich people throwing their waste onto the polished floor carelessly. He pitied the poor people who were going to have to clear this up.

"Most likely." Conrad replied. They were interrupted by a loud, shrill exclamation of "What a cutie!" Yuuri turned around and found himself face to chest with a tall, busty, orange haired woman. His eyes immediately narrowed. In his past life, Yuuri had been trained to spy and infiltrate enemy bases. As such, he had also learnt how to disguise himself (using genjutsu) and how to pick apart disguises. Even though this woman had done a good job, such disguises were still easy to spot compared to the elaborate genjutsu Naruto had been exposed to. That was why Yuuri immediately knew two things after taking one glance at the woman. The first was that she was in disguise and the second was the 'she' was in fact a 'he'. Yuuri quickly turned to alert Conrad of the potential threat when he saw Conrad exchanging a meaningful look with the disguised man. _So Conrad knows this guy, does he? And that look he sent him was similar to the looks ANBU captains sent their subordinates. If this guy is working for Conrad, he must be working for our side. Maybe this is one of the people in Conrad's personal guard, or he might even be one of my secret bodyguards. I knew Gunter wouldn't let me leave the castle with only Conrad as protection._

However, Yuuri didn't have time to think further as the man-woman suddenly leaned closer to him. "Say, would you dance with me?" She-he asked. Yuuri's eyes twitched. _Did he have to go so far?_ Before he could reject the ridiculous notion, a female voice cut in.

"Hey don't steal him." A beautiful girl with pale blond hair was saying "I saw him first."

"That is the fated man from my dreams." Another girl with orange hair insisted.

Yuuri turned to stare at the group of gathered girls in order. Almost as if they were acting on a silent signal, the group immediately rushed towards him.

"Please dance with me!" They begged.

"With me!"

"No way! He's dancing with me!"

Yuuri struggled to get out of the mess of arguing ladies. "Wait! Stop! Help me, Conrad!"

"Yuuri is a pretty boy in this world, so it can't be helped." Conrad said with an apologetic smile, not lifting a finger to do anything.

Boisterous laughter suddenly rang out, prompting Conrad to turn around and Yuuri to peer through the mess of arms and bodies surrounding him. "Looks like you're having trouble choosing someone." Cruyff commented, looking at the scene.

"Mr. Hristo Cruyff-san." Yuuri greeted politely, still caught in the gaggle of girls.

"So how about it? Will you like to dance with her?" Cruyff asked, gesturing to his daughter who was sitting silently on the bench. Yuuri saw how the little girl looked so lonely and quickly made up his mind. He shot a glare at Conrad who _finally_ decided to lend him a hand, and soon he managed to extract himself from the group. Quickly murmuring apologies, Yuuri made his escape, walking towards Beatrice.

"Ojou-sama (miss)," He called, bowing lowly as he extended a hand to her. "Would you grant me a dance?" To his surprise, the little girl immediately bolted off the bench and ran past him. "Beatrice?" He asked, taken aback.

Beatrice turned around to look at him. "You wanted to dance, right? Let's go!" She said impatiently, already on her way to the dance floor.

"O-Okay." Yuuri said, quickly straightening up and joining her. It was awkward, dancing with someone who was so much shorter than he was. Yuuri had to bend down in order to place his hand onto her shoulder.

"Is this your first time dancing?" Beatrice asked. _So she had noticed his clumsy steps. Well, she'd have to be blind not to notice ._Yuuri thought.

"Yeah." He wasn't technically lying. This _was_ the first time he'd danced in this body. As Rokudaime, however, he had had to attend several parties in which dancing was mandatory. "So you noticed?"

"It's my first time too." Beatrice admitted. "You're my first partner."

"Really? I'm honored." Yuuri said, smiling down at the little girl. Her dancing was impressive for a first timer. "Your father must have been great at dancing."

"He is. When my father and mother are dancing, they're wonderful." Beatrice said with a smile.

"Wow, that's cool." Yuuri said in response.

"You're a little cool too." Beatrice said earnestly.

"Me?" Yuuri asked, surprised.

"But your hair color doesn't suit you. And your eye color is weird too." She said, tilting her head to the side and studying Yuuri closely. Yuuri blinked before pointing to his right eye. "You mean this?" He asked, as he pondered why his right eye felt slightly different from his left. His eyes widened as it hit him. _Oh crap! I forgot I was wearing contacts? The one in my right must have dropped off._ Immediately covering his right eye with his hand, Yuuri apologized hastily before running off. He had to get away before someone saw his true eye color. He quickly found his way to his room, locking the door behind him hurriedly.

"What's wrong? Is someone chasing you? Why are you in such a hurry?" Wolfram asked immediately, seeing how Yuuri was out of breath.

"Don't worry. It's nothing like that. My contact lens fell out so I came in here before anyone could see." Yuuri explained. They were suddenly cut off when the ship lurched, sending a porcelain tea set crashing onto the ground.

"What's going on?" Wolfram asked, clinging onto the bed.

"I'm not sure. The ship must have hit something." Yuuri replied. Both boys' eyes widened when the heard the screams from above. "This is not good. Everyone's panicking. We need to get out of here." Wolfram nodded quickly and the two raced to the door. However, before they could reach it, the door swung open and Conrad stood in the way. The swordsman heaved a visible sigh of relief when he saw Yuuri.

"Your Majesty, thank goodness you got back alright. Come, you two. You have to hide in the closet." Conrad said quickly, ushering them into the closet.

"What's going on?" Yuuri demanded, not happy about being shoved into a cupboard.

"Listen to me calmly." Conrad said, his eyes serious. "This ship is under attacked by buccaneers."

"Buccaneers? You mean pirates? Then all the more we need to go up there! We can't let innocent people be hurt!" Yuuri exclaimed, trying to get out of the closet.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Conrad said, pushing Yuuri back down. "At times like these, I'm here." He assured him, drawing his sword. Wolfram immediately sprang up.

"I will fight too!" He insisted, but Conrad merely put a hand on his chest, preventing him from getting out of the closet. "Do you doubt my skills?" Wolfram demanded, enraged.

"Of course not. That is why I'm asking you to protect His Majesty." Conrad said calmly, staring at Wolfram meaningfully. The blond paused and huffed, but he sat back down, determined to complete his new mission. Yuuri was about to protest that he didn't need protecting but Conrad spoke again.

"Listen. Please stay put until you don't hear anymore footsteps." He instructed. "Do not throw a tantrum. If anything happens to you, the people and Gunter will cry."

Yuuri blinked, taken aback, before he smiled. "And you?"

"Me?" Conrad asked, confused.

"You will cry for me, right?" Yuuri asked.

Conrad smiled. "At that time, we will meet again at a different place." He replied, before closing the door and encasing them in darkness. Yuuri sat frozen in place. Even as Rokudaime, no one had really cared so much about his protection. Sure, his people didn't want him to die and many were willing to sacrifice their lives for his, but that was because his death would leave Konoha vulnerable. They didn't care about his life per se, but about what would happen to their friends and family if he died. Things were different here. Instead of being the protector, he was protected. Knowing that people actually cared for him filled Yuuri with a warm feeling. However, what Conrad said had troubled him. The swordsman had basically proclaimed that he'd die before allowing harm to come to Yuuri or that he'd kill himself should Yuuri die. Yuuri remembered that Conrad had said something similar when they first met, when the soldier had said that he was willing to sacrifice his life for Yuuri. Yuuri hadn't realized how serious Conrad was until now. He had seen the glint in Conrad's eyes, and knew that the swordsman was not kidding. Yuuri didn't want Conrad to die for him. Sure, being the one who was protected for once felt nice. It was as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders, knowing that while others looked to him for help, there was someone for him to lean on. However, as Naruto, he'd already had far too many people dying for him or because of his actions. Yuuri was determined not to add Conrad to the already long list. _I need to have a talk with him. I really appreciate his loyalty, but he shouldn't speak of his life so lightly. Besides, should anything happen to me, Shin Makoku will need her knights to protect her people. I'll worry about that later, though. Right now, I have to figure out a way to get out of this mess._ Yuuri paused. The screams had stopped.

"It has become quiet." Yuuri commented.

"Listen, Yuuri." Wolfram suddenly spoke up. "Even if you're found, don't make any reckless moves. Since you're good-looking, they won't take your life."

Yuuri twitched. Did Wolfram seriously expect him to just sit back and let the pirates have their way? "Then you shouldn't make any moves either." He shot back. "You're several times cuter than I am."

"I can't." Wolfram said. "I'm a military man of the Mazoku so I can't be forgiven for not fighting for survival."

"And I am the Maou. I will be a disgrace to my people if I surrender so easily." Yuuri pointed out. Wolfram was about to protest when both boys heard footsteps coming into the room.

"Maybe he already ran off." A nasally voice said.

"That's not possible. I've confirmed with _him_. _He_ knows this ship very well." His companion replied.

"Oh yeah, whatever happened to that hero guy?" The first voice asked. Yuuri sat up straighter at that. They had to be talking about Conrad.

"Oh, him? By now he's probably being beaten the hell up by boss?" The other said. Yuuri's eyes widened. _That's not possible. I've seen the skill with which Conrad wields the sword. He won't be bested by a couple of pirates._ He thought, trying to convince himself. However, there was a niggling voice in his mind that kept reminding him that this was not his world and who was he to judge the average skill level of pirates here? In fact, all of the swordsmen Yuuri had come across would definitely be among the higher tier should they ever cross swords with the samurai in the ninja world. Even Wolfram's sword skills were nothing to scoff at. It was very likely that the humans would be equally skilled at sword fighting, maybe even more so if they have been able to pose a threat to magic wielding Mazoku.

Lost in his thoughts, Yuuri didn't realize when his foot twitched, hitting a box in the process. The sudden silence in the room told him that the two intruders had heard him. _Crap. This is bad. Both Wolfram and I are armed, but if it's true that their boss managed to beat Conrad, then these two cannot be taken lightly. I might be able to hold my own against one of them, but Wolfram would be taken out quickly. With both of them then focusing on me, I won't stand a chance._ Yuuri thought desperately, trying to find a way out of this sticky situation.

"Hey! There's someone in there!" The first voice said and Yuuri started to sweat. Desperate, Yuuri did the first thing that came to mind.

"M-Meow." Yuuri said, imitating a cat. It was a good thing he had practiced this in his past life in order to escape detection after pulling a prank. However, instead of the annoyed sighs he expected, the pirates gasped.

"It's a Zobusaburifu!" One of them exclaimed and Yuuri heard Wolfram face palming beside him.

"Even if it's an insect, it'll slice humans." The other said. "Go send for more guys."

Yuuri sweat dropped and turned to Wolfram. "But why? At times like this shouldn't I imitate a cat?"

Wolfram sighed. "Cats go 'meh meh'!" He said, obviously frustrated with Yuuri's stupidity. _Well how was I supposed to know that cats sound like sheep here? I haven't read any books on that!_ Yuuri thought indignantly, though he wisely kept his thoughts to himself. Wolfram drew his sword and stared at the doors of the cupboard determinedly.

"You can't, Wolfram. There're too many of them." Yuuri whispered but the blond wasn't listening. Suddenly, the door opened and Wolfram flew out, his sword flashing. Yuuri peeked out of the closet and his eyes widened at the scene. There were at least a dozen pirates in the room and all of them were armed with wicked looking blades. _This is bad. We're currently in human territory and my magic is responding properly. The feeling is similar to having a chakra suppression seal on me. Wolfram is probably having it worse. With us not being able to summon our magic, fighting will only get us killed. It's best to surrender for now and let them bring us to the other prisoners. Once we reunite with Conrad, we can come up with a solution._ Yuuri thought before calling out to Wolfram, effectively giving away his position.

"Stand down, Wolfram. That is an order." He said firmly, glaring at the blond. Wolfram paused at that statement and hesitated for awhile before reluctantly dropping his sword.

Yuuri and Wolfram were led onto the upper deck where they saw the women being ushered away. It seemed the pirates were planning to use them as cooks and cleaners for their ship. The children were also hoarded together to be ransomed away. The men, however, were to be disposed of. Yuuri's eyes immediately fell onto Conrad who stood amongst the other men. He looked fine, so the hero the pirates were talking about must have been another brave passenger. A part of Yuuri rejoiced at that, knowing that Conrad was safe. However, another part felt guilty for being glad over another's misfortune. He could only hope that the other passenger was alright.

"N-No way! I don't want to die yet!" A distinguished looking blond haired man protested. However, he was quickly silenced when a pirate knocked him unconscious. Yuuri's eyes widened at the rough treatment. He was about to act when he heard a scream. That voice was familiar…

Turning to the source of the scream, Yuuri saw a pirate pulling Beatrice by one of her pigtails. Beatrice was crying, begging to be let go and Yuuri gritted his teeth at the mistreatment of the little girl. _This was going too far. No one mistreats innocent children in front of me and gets away with it._ Yuuri was furious and he felt his magic that had been practically non-existent begin flooding his veins, practically pleading to be used. Yuuri felt his alter ego prodding at his mind, asking to take control and Yuuri granted it. These pirates deserved to be punished, and his alter ego would ensure that they got what they deserved.

Yuuri felt his hair lengthen as his alter ego took over. With the Maou (Yuuri's nickname for his alter ego) in control, Yuuri felt his magic become ten times more potent. The seas lurched and the boat rocked dangerously. Yuuri felt his body walking forward.

"You board a powerless passenger ship. Destroying and stealing are evil deeds." Yuuri sighed mentally as he heard the Maou starting his monologue. Really, one of these days, his enemies would learn not to freeze in terror and attack while the Maou was too busy giving his little speeches. It seemed the Maou had heard him, for he cut his speech short. Yuuri could practically imagine the Maou tossing away the ridiculously long script he had prepared beforehand. "For that, you will be punished." The Maou intoned.

"W-Who the hell are you?" The one Yuuri assumed to be the boss demanded. "Men! Attack him!" The pirate boss ordered and the other pirates immediately descended upon Yuuri. Suddenly, the bones and other litter that were strewn over the ground started moving, forming a pile of rubbish at Yuuri's feet. Yuuri distantly heard Wolfram screaming "The bones! The bones!" behind him but he paid him no heed. Yuuri winced when he caught a mental picture of what the Maou had intented. He shuddered. That was disgusting.

**Disgusting actions call for disgusting punishments.** A voice rang out in Yuuri's head. Had Yuuri been in control of his body, he would have jumped a foot in the air. As it was, he settled for feeling extreme shock. Now that he thought about it, though, Yuuri realized that he shouldn't feel so surprised. After all, Kyuubi could communicate with him in his mind so why would the Maou be any different?

_You know, if you could talk, why didn't you speak up earlier? You would have been a great help when Wolfram and I were captured._ Yuuri thought to his alter ego.

**It wasn't the right time. **The Maou replied, but Yuuri could tell that he was feeling slightly sheepish and embarrassed about something.

_You're embarrassed. Why would you be… No. It can't be. You purposely kept quiet just so we could be brought up here and you could make a much more dramatic showing?!_ Yuuri asked incredulously.

**The Maou needs to ****display his greatness if he is to strike fear into his enemies.** The Maou said stubbornly and Yuuri had the fight the urge to face palm. Who could have guessed that the Maou was so… childish!

As they were communicating mentally, the pile of rubbish had congregated together and formed a large skeleton that towered over the pirates. The skeleton advanced towards the pirates as they scattered, stomping on some and slamming others together. Yuuri sighed as he heard Conrad's and Wolfram's conversation behind him.

"This is the first time I've seen such bad taste in magic." Conrad was saying, and Yuuri could already imagine the slightly disturbed yet awed look on his face.

"I'm feeling sick again." Was Wolfram's only reply.

_See? Even our comrades are feeling sick. This is a punishment for more than the pirates._

**They'll survive. **The Maou said, but Yuuri could detect a sheepish note in his voice. The rightful owner of the body could do nothing but sigh. Again. Yuuri could only watch as the skeleton lifted up the pirate boss and his alter ego began his monologue again. Well, it took time to get rid of habits.

Suddenly, a loud siren blared into the night. _What now?_ Yuuri thought exasperatedly.

**It is now time for me to take my leave.** The Maou replied.

_Wait, what?_ Was all Yuuri had the time to think before he found himself once again in control of his body. The giant skeleton collapsed back into a pile of rubbish with the pirate boss landing right in the middle of said pile. Yuuri cursed when he felt he knees buckling beneath him. It made sense that summoning magic in human territory took more out of him than summoning magic in Mazoku territory. Yuuri simply gave up trying to stand and sat on the floor, waiting for the drama that was sure to follow.

Yuuri massaged his temples tiredly as he fought the urge to sigh. Sighing so much was bound to have some detrimental effect or another. The loud siren he'd heard was apparently from one of Shimaron's reserve boats. The soldiers on the boat had quickly taken control of the situation, imprisoning the pirates and freeing the passengers. Unfortunately, the soldiers had also figured out that Yuuri was a Mazoku and he had been thrown into a prison cell together with Conrad and Wolfram who had abandoned their cover to stay with their king. Since then, Yuuri had been pestering the Maou in his mind, trying to get him to summon some more magic and bust them out of there. Unfortunately, the Maou refused to listen to his pleas, stating that Yuuri needed to rest from summoning so much magic in human territory and that he just needed to be patient.

Just as Yuuri was in the midst of yet another long argument on why the Maou needed to take over and get them out, the door to their prison cell burst open. Standing in the doorway was the orange haired spy though he was no longer in his disguise. "Ta da! I've come to get you out, Your Majesty." The spy said, flashing a victory sign. Around his waist, hung the three swords that belonged to Conrad, Wolfram and Yuuri.

"It's nice to see you again, in a male's outfit this time. I must admit, seeing you dressed as a girl and hitting on me was slightly disturbing." Yuuri said, smiling at the newcomer.

The spy stared at Yuuri, his jaw hanging open. "You knew?!" He asked. Yuuri merely nodded in reply. "Then why didn't you say anything?" The spy demanded.

Yuuri smirked. "Well, I was most certainly not going to tell a potential threat that I could see through his disguise."

"But you should have said something to me or Wolfram, Your Majesty. It is important that we are aware of any possible threats to you." Conrad spoke quietly. He, too, had been surprised by the revelation.

"I was going to tell you, but then I saw how you two exchanged looks. You obviously recognized him and didn't think him a threat so I figured he was on our side." Yuuri replied, shrugging.

"Ah, but what if I had been a bad guy and Conrad was in cahoots with me? What would you have done then?" The spy said, wagging a finger admonishingly in Yuuri's face.

"That would never happen." Yuuri said simply before walking towards the open door. He turned around and looked at his three subjects. They were all staring at him. Conrad, in particular, was shocked by Yuuri's proclamation of faith. "Come on, are we getting out of here or what?" He called impatiently

That snapped the three men out of their daze. They quickly followed him, the spy taking the lead and leading them to a small escape boat.

"So, mind introducing yourself?" Yuuri asked once they were in the relative safety of the escape boat. He, Wolfram and the spy were already sitting comfortably on the boat, waiting for Conrad who was still climbing down the ladder. The swordsman had stayed behind to talk to the sailor they had seen throwing his apprentice around. The man had been bribed to let them leave silently with the escape boat.

"His name is Gurrier Yozak." Conrad answered his question as he skipped the last few rungs of the ladder, jumping lightly onto the boat. "In case of emergency, he is to support us. He's a guard who has been shadowing us ever since you travelled with us back to Shin Makoku."

Yuuri's eyes widened at that. _He's been shadowing me for that long? This guy must be good to have evaded my senses. I may not have Kyuubi to sharpen my senses, but my sensory perception is still much higher than a normal person. In fact, no one has every sneaked up on me before. Not even before I regained my memories and started training my senses._

The four of them were currently rowing the boat manually. Yuuri hoped that someone was carefully navigating and steering them in the right direction for he was merely rowing mindlessly. He was starting to see sense in Shikamaru's favorite phrase now. _How troublesome._


End file.
